'I’d buy Páirc Uí Chaoimh back from the GAA, put Cork City in there like they were in the 70s'

On St Patrick's St, members of the public reveal their dream purchases if they had bagged the €250m lottery ticket which was sold in Munster

They say money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy fighter jets and football teams, which featured among a long wish list of items coveted by Cork’s EuroMillions fans.

However, while some shoppers on St Patrick’s St in the city were understandably disappointed about losing out on the €250m jackpot, others described it as a curse they could do without.

The public was reacting to news of Tuesday night’s winning ticket which was purchased in a shop in Cork. The exact location along with the owner’s identity remains unknown.

Goncalo Morais, who works in Herlihy’s Centra on St Patrick’s St, had bought a ticket but sadly missed out. This hasn’t stopped him dreaming about future wins, as he contemplated the ultimate €250m splurge.

“I would buy my local club Benfica from back home in Portugal and fire the chairman because he’s not good enough,” he told the Irish Examiner. “It would probably cost that much to buy the club but it would be for the love of the game.”

Denis Murphy from Fairhill in Cork was not as keen.

“That kind of money couldn’t bring anything but bad luck,” he said. “I wouldn’t keep it. I would give it away. I might buy a few fighter jets, because the way the world is going we definitely need them. Our Government doesn’t want to invest in that stuff so if I won that kind of money, I think that’s what I would do.

“I would give it to the air force and give it to the navy so they can have what they need in today’s environment and not have to rely on Britain to protect them.”

Sophie Condon from Glenville had other plans: “I am getting on a flight out of here straight away. I’d move the whole family to Dubai. I’d buy mansions for my family and my friends can have mansions too. I’ll have to pass my driving test first but then I’m definitely getting a new car.”

Laura O’Dwyer from Kanturk shared her EuroMillions ambitions: “I’d start with buying a house in Cork City and a holiday home abroad. I’d also buy a designer bag and a yacht.”

Laura O’Dwyer had her eyes set on a house, yacht, and designer bag if she had the winning ticket. Picture: Larry Cummins

Luke O’Brien from Waterford spoke about how a win of that scale might benefit his friends: “I would buy a trip around the world and come back and buy a house and a load of golf clubs. For €250m, I could buy cars for the whole family and take all my friends on a big trip with me too.”

Caitlin Heffernan from Mallow dreamt about how her life might play out after a EuroMillions win.

“I would buy a cute little cottage in West Cork and do it up,” she said. “I would travel the world for a year or two and maybe buy a farm.”

John O’Kelly from Mayfield said he feels that €250m is too much money.

“I don’t know what I would do with it because it’s too much. I’m too set in my ways at this stage,” he said. “It would totally change everything for me. I think I would pay off the mortgages of my family but that’s about it.”

Ger Slyne from Innishannon has it all planned out: “I would buy Cork City. I’d buy Páirc Uí Chaoimh back from the GAA, put Cork City in there like they were in the 70s and we’d get the crowds flocking back there again.”

Ger Slyne would buy Cork City and Páirc Uí Chaoimh while John O’Kelly says the lottery win is just too much money to handle. Picture: Larry Cummins

Lastly, Teresa O’Neill from Cork, who now lives in the US, said she would donate a sum to charity.

“I’m very interested in Catholic charities so if I was going to donate that’s who I would donate to,” she concluded.