This article is from page 10 of the 2013-08-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
THE true identity of the € 6 million Lahinch lotto winner has yet to be confirmed – with speculation centering on an eight-person syndicate including staff from Flanagan’s bar in the village.
The winning ticket, a € 4 quickpick, was purchased in Kennedy’s Centra in Lahinch on Friday evening last, but no one has yet contacted the National Lottery in relation to the win, and neither staff nor shop owner Robert Kennedy have any idea who the lucky millionaires might be.
An image of staff at Flanagan’s bar celebrating an “anonymous syndicate” win emerged online on Sunday and yesterday bar manager Shane Keane was hopeful that he still might be a winner.
“We all put money in on Friday evenings for the weekend lotto there is a few different syndicates going. Then on Sunday we got a call from two of the lads in Dublin saying that we had won. Their phone ran out of batteries and we haven’t been able to contact them since,” said Shane.
“We were trying to get them all day Sunday and they weren’t on the busses back from the match. So one of the lads, Thomas Finnucane, has gone up to Dublin to try and find them.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve won our not. I came in to work today in case I didn’t win. I just don’t know.”
Shop owner Robert Kennedy said yesterday that no matter who receives the money, the lotto win has given a boost to the whole village.
“There is huge excitement in Lahinch after this. The lotto was last won in the area about 25 years ago and it was an aunt of mine that won it, would you believe – she shared it with six people – but it has not been won since,” said Robert.
“Six million is a huge amount of money and no one really knows who is involved. There are so many tourists in Lahinch this time of year that there is no way of knowing if it was a local or a tourist. I’m thrilled for whoever won it.
“I’d be delighted if it was a local who won it but the truth is that we might never know. It’s been a great pick-me-up or the village no matter who has won it.
“I was talking to Olan [owner of Flanagan’s bar] there a few minutes ago and he was giving nothing away. He wasn’t confirming of denying anything and good luck to them if it turns out to be them.”
The winning numbers were: 4 11 16 33 43 45 and bonus 10 and the jackpot was a tidy € 6,158,375.