:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7RCDCXACSIHHCGIKZVHQ4DDXFE.jpg)
The owner of the winning EuroMillions ticket worth €88.5 million have contacted the National Lottery and have made arrangements to collect their prize money.
The National Lottery confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that the ticket holder had been in touch and would be able to pick up the prize money some time next week.
The National Lottery was unable to confirm whether the winning ticket was bought by one person or by a lotto syndicate.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/L6FGY6P6KBBWVRVY3N2OYMY3ZY.jpg)
#EuroMillions results are in.
— The National Lottery (@NationalLottery) January 24, 2017
Jackpot: €88,587,275
Winner: 1
Location: #ShareTheDream pic.twitter.com/BQrbEZU0A4
The winning numbers in Tuesday’s draw were 1,5, 7, 17 and 23 and the lucky stars were 3 and 8.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/T63CV64BIWXTK7SIJ4CJGDATCA.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/JOO6Z6SEHSUVQMNNMMASDNYXZY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IM76V6MQA7FVR22FMYYMZBUUSI.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4Y6CRQXITKEJUZBK4NUNEEBG7U.jpg)
While there is still no clear indication as to where the winning ticket was sold or the identity of the winner, rumours are circulating in many parts of the country.
In one Co Cork shop, Fitzpatrick’s store in Glounthaune, manager Kerri O’Neill, said there had been “rumours and suspicions” that their shop had sold the winning ticket.
She said the National Lottery had not yet confirmed whether they had sold the ticket and this information was not available to the shop from its Lotto machines.
“We hope it’s true but we don’t know yet. Rumour has it that it’s a syndicate of 34 people from a company in Little Island Industrial estate,” she said.
“Protocol from the National Lottery is they normally wait for the winner to step forward first.”
The National Lottery would provide legal advisers and accountants to assist the winners, added Mr Griffin.
While some people respond to a lottery win positively, others can be left in shock, he said.
“A lot of syndicates play when the prize is that large or it could be a family syndicate and they have each other for support. We sit them down and talk to them and have professional advice.”
It’s not the first time a large Euromillions jackpot has been won by a player from the Republic.
A syndicate involving a group of friends won €66 million in January last year.
The 12th-highest jackpot in the competition’s history was won by Dolores McNamara from Co Limerick when she took home €115,436,126 in July 2005.
Other winners in Ireland have scooped the jackpot with wins of €94 million, €29.4 million and €15 million.
Tuesday night marked the tenth jackpot win for Irish players since the Euromillions began in 2004 and in the last year Irish players have won the jackpot on two other occasions - €66,188,316 in January 2016 and €23,845,087 in July 2016.
EuroMillions is played in nine countries - Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.
National Lottery chief executive Dermot Griffin said the money would not be available until next week as the National Lottery must collect the funds from the other countries who participate in the jackpot.
To date, the National Lottery has raised over €4.9 billion for good causes and funds projects in Youth, Sports, Recreation, Amenities, Health, Welfare, Arts, Culture, Environment, National Heritage and the Irish Language.
Funds raised by the National Lottery are transferred to the Exchequer and are used to part-finance expenditure by various Government Departments on projects in these categories.