Last Updated: Monday, June 30, 2008, 19:55

Carlow syndicate scoops €19m lotto

Ireland’s newest millionaires went underground today as lotto fever hit Carlow town.

The 16-person syndicate, who work at a concrete and quarry plant, have still not made any moves to claim the record €18.9 million jackpot which they scooped on Saturday night. Just a handful of the winners showed up for work at Dan Morrissey Irl Ltd in Bennekerry today after celebrating the win into the early hours of the morning.

This was the second lottery win at the plant in recent years. In 2001, another 16-strong syndicate from
an office at the compound scooped a €256,000 prize in the Lotto.

The syndicate are said to be meeting at a private location today to discuss their record prize before travelling to Dublin together to collect their winnings.

However, a National Lottery spokeswoman said its office had still not had any confirmation from the winning ticket holder.

The winning €32 multi-draw quick pick was the largest prize in the 20-year history of the game.

It was sold at Hickson’s Centra store on the Staplestown Road in Carlow town last Wednesday.

The store, currently run by brothers PJ, Tommy and Donal Hickson, also sold winning jackpot tickets under previous management.

Around 3,500 people bought a line in the jackpot every minute during peak time on Saturday in the run-up to the draw, which had rolled over for 16 draws since May 3rd.

The record prize tops the €16m euro won by the Cunningham family from Cork in July last year and €15.65m euro paid out to a family from Clondalkin in Dublin in April.

Limerick woman Dolores McNamara remains the country’s biggest lottery winner after scooping €115m in the Euromillions draw in 2005.