:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/5P7RRNA5VJ5MS254BBHP3ABTGU.jpg)
Two tickets sold in neighbouring counties Mayo and Galway each scooped €500,000 in Friday’s EuroMillions Plus draw.
The winning tickets, sold in Castlebar, Co Mayo and in Barna, Co Galway, are the sixth and seventh Irish EuroMillions Plus wins this year.
The Mayo store where one of the tickets was bought is the Garryduff XL Store on Pound Road in Castlebar, which hit the headlines in July after selling a winning EuroMillions jackpot ticket worth €29 million.
Store co-owner Rosie Kumar said on Saturday that “lightening really does strike twice”.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/DDEJ2UGBP55OOVF2L6ACRY75HE.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YGUNNGG3FSDSUGDHSA37Q7JTKY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IKNERW7OWAK6NMHP3KB2ZD4L24.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TEUWK4HQHLL6SQX25CVR3OJF7M.jpg)
“I would never have expected to have sold another significant EuroMillions winning ticket so soon after selling the winning ticket last summer,” she said.
“We are thrilled and we’ve been spreading the word to our customers today to check their tickets to see if it is them.”
Ms Kumar moved to the Republic with her husband Umesh some 12 years ago from New Delhi in India.
The second winning ticket was sold 83 kilometres south of Castlebar, in Clarke’s SuperValu in Barna Village Centre, Seapoint, Barna, Co Galway.
The store manager, Leonard Fay, said: “The team in our shop are delighted and there is a great atmosphere in Barna this morning. I hope it is one of our regular shoppers but whoever it is, good luck to them.”
The National Lottery said it was encouraging all its players in the two counties to check their EuroMillions tickets.
“EuroMillions Plus continues to be lucky for Irish players and the fact that these wins are the sixth and seventh Plus wins of 2018 is proof,” said a spokesman.
“If you do happen to be one of those two lucky ticketholders, be sure to sign the back of the ticket and contact our prize claims team on 01 836 4444 and we will make arrangements for you to come to the National Lottery Winner’s Room to get your prize”.
As there was no winner of the € 150,559,073 EuroMillions Jackpot, it rolls on to Tuesday to an estimated € 160 million.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/e0baa6dc-0d1e-42c0-8173-93878e529c64.png)