'You couldn't meet a finer crowd': Retirement group delighted to win €1m lotto prize

Local shop in the Turlough area in Co. Mayo revealed as the selling location for Thursday’s Daily Million top prize ticket worth an amazing €1,000,000. Picture: Keith Heneghan / Mac Innes Photography

A 47-strong active age retirement group in Co Mayo are planning a trip to Dublin next week to collect a €1 million cheque at National Lottery headquarters.

Individually, the syndicate will collect just over €21,000 each from their unexpected but hugely welcome windfall.

“With Christmas coming up this is a really nice cash boost for us all”, Michael Cosgrave, spokesman for the Young at Heart club which is based in the Parke/Turlough area near Castlebar this evening.

Michael, the 'bagman' for the syndicate, has been collecting €1 each from his fellow club members each week for the past five years.

Using a combination of numbers which he has personally chosen, Michael then purchases the weekly Daily Millions ticket at Turlough Stores which is run by Michael Barrett and his family.

This is the first big win for the senior citizens' syndicate.

“We had bits and pieces of wins over the years”, Michael Cosgrave explained. “I am delighted for my fellow club members.

"They have been really patient over the year, despite lean pickings up to now.

One million euro is a lot for one person to win but it’s an ideal sum for sharing, especially when there are 47 friends involved."

There are no definite plans for collecting the big cheque but Michael agreed it will probably happen next week, with details to be discussed and finalised.

“Our first task will be to hold a committee meeting to see where we go from here, what is best for everybody”, Michael outlined.

He expressed special gratitude to local woman Maisie Lawless for her assistance in collecting the weekly monies and Ann Kelly of Turlough Stores for her assistance in inputting the weekly numbers.

“We’re all a happy crowd now with Christmas coming up,” said Michael, who is originally from Dublin, but came to live with his wife, Mary, in Turlough on his retirement.

It is the second big win for Turlough Stores in a year.

The shop sold a Lotto match 5 plus bonus ticket worth a whopping €595,521 on October 23 of last year.

Store owner Michael Barrett said: “I could not believe it to get the call again so soon to say that our shop had sold another winning lottery ticket.

"This is our first jackpot win, so it is extra special and it’s a huge win for the locality.

"You couldn’t meet a nicer, finer, crowd than the winners”.