A GRANDMOTHER got the best present she could have wished for when she won more than €5 million in the Lotto jackpot on Saturday night.
Yesterday Lily Gallagher from Drogheda had gone into hiding after realising she could not keep her amazing stroke of luck a secret. Her daughter, Melissa, said: “She is just in deep shock.”
Ms Gallagher’s only son, Anthony, emigrated to Australia earlier this year. But after her good fortune the lucky winner will now be able to visit him. “When he left we were heartbroken; we cried for three days,” said her daughter.
She said she was thrilled for her mother. “I always prayed at night, because I never could afford to buy her a good present, that someday she would get to be the queen she deserves, and she will be now.
“She really deserves it. She doesn’t drive, she walks everywhere and gets the town bus.”
It also emerged that Ms Gallagher is the second Lotto winner on her street in the Moneymore estate.
In 2004 a €1.35 million jackpot was scooped by former neighbours Lisa Sullivan and David Kevitt.
“We are going to call it Moremoney not Moneymore!” said Ms Gallagher’s daughter.
The winner was with her sister, when the draw was taking place. But because she always picked the same numbers – family birthday and anniversary dates – her family realised she could have a few of the winning numbers.
When Ms Gallagher went home and checked her ticket, she then rang her daughter who lives down the road, to come over and check the numbers.
Then they had a family celebration.
The ticket was sold at Drogheda newsagents Madame le Worthy and is worth €5.1 million.