Mystery winner pockets €6m from €4 Quick Pick
Lahinch in west Clare has been abuzz with chatter and some speculation since it was confirmed that the weekend’s jackpot of €6,158,375 was won locally.
The €4 Quick Pick was purchased on Friday afternoon at Kennedy’s Centra Foodmarket, Back Lane, Lahinch.
It was the first time the store sold a National Lottery jackpot winning ticket.
By mid-afternoon speculation was rife that the jackpot had been won by a syndicate from a local pub in Lahinch.
A photograph appeared on Twitter showing a group with a large bottle of champagne and a lotto ticket apparently in Flanagan’s Pub.
Anonymous syndicate win €6M lotto in #lahinch @county_clare_i @ClareFM @todayfmofficial pic.twitter.com/Uk3nsfsiR6
— Flanagans Lahinch (@Flanagans_Bar) August 18, 2013
Bar manager Shane Keane said: “To be honest we don’t know. We have a few different syndicates in the pub but two of the staff are gone to Dublin to the match.”
“There was a group in this morning but they haven’t been back since so we just don’t know,” Mr Keane said.
The pub’s Twitter page also stated: “Anonymous syndicate win €6m lotto in Lahinch”.
Bar staff were also reluctant to state whether the claim was a hoax.
“I wouldn’t say hoax but those involved I believe are now away in Dublin,” Mr Keane said.
The owner of the shop that sold the winning ticket, Robert Kennedy said: “When I heard first I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. There was a real buzz around the town and that’s how I heard it. The National Lottery then confirmed it for me and we are all delighted for whoever won but we have no idea who it was.”
Lahinch is one of the country’s busiest seaside resorts with several mobile home, caravan and camp sites. The town also has a large concentration of holiday homes while the local golf course is very most popular.
“Good luck to them and I wish them the best of luck. It could be absolutely anyone. We have a lot visitors coming into the shop, it’s our main trade so it could be someone just passing through or here for a few days,” Mr Kennedy added.
“I doubt we’ll ever know who it is. They could be on a plane to Boston or someplace else already,” he said.
Irish Hotel’s Federation President and local hotelier Michael Vaughan said: “It’s fantastic news but it’s anyone’s guess who it might be. Thousands of people stay in or visit Lahinch during the summer and in August there could be up to 10,000 people in the village.
“The permanent population of Lahinch is about 700 but it swells to at least ten times that at this time of the year, so it could be anyone,” Mr Vaughan added.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
