A LUCKY family collected a cheque for a life-changing EuroMillions Plus prize worth €500k at Lotto HQ today.
The Donnelly family from Louth, fondly known as “The Donn’s”, purchased their winning ticket from Centra, The Mell, Drogheda, Co. Louth on Friday, January 24.
The tight-knit clan of 18, including brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces, have been playing together for two years, and this is their first major win.
The head of the family syndicate, Kenneth Donnelly said: “We’ve been playing as a family for two years, and it’s always been a fun way to stay connected.”
Kenneth admitted that he’s a very honest Lottery player, photographing the bought tickets for the week ahead and sharing any wins in their group chat.
Every month, he collects €10 from the members to go towards the month’s tickets, mainly EuroMillions – but they’d certainly take a Lotto win!
He added: “We’ve had small wins of €4 or €8, which we usually bundled together to celebrate at Christmas.
“I’m usually very good at checking the tickets on the night, or soon after the draw.
“But this time, it slipped my mind, and my wife text me that the winning EuroMillions Plus ticket was bought in The Mell – our local!
“When I saw the winning numbers, I nearly died with shock! I was at work in Dublin and had the ticket sitting in the car back in Drogheda.
“I immediately had to drive back to check the ticket, and when I scanned it on the app, it popped up ‘You’ve Won Big’.
“I sent a screenshot to our group chat, (not-so) very creatively called ‘Lotto-group’, and it just erupted in excitement!”
The Donnelly family had always joked that their small wins were contributions towards buying a small island.
Now, with their significant win, their dreams have grown even grander.
One family member has already booked a trip to Nashville, and the long-awaited family trip to New York is back on the table.
National Lottery spokesperson, Emma Monaghan said: “We are absolutely delighted for the Donn family and their incredible win.
“It’s so heartwarming to see a family come together and share such a joyous occasion.
“We wish them all the best in their adventures and celebrations—and maybe we’ll be hearing about Donn Island in the near future!”
Last week was certainly remarkable for the smallest county in Ireland.
Not only did the Donnellys strike it big, but Louth also celebrated its first Lotto jackpot winner of 2025, who secured a whopping €4,642,646.
That winning ticket was sold just 2.5km from the Donn’s purchase, at Centra, Platin Road, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
