The first asylum-seekers to become Lotto millionaires were turned away this week when they tried to open a bank account only to learn, on Wednesday night, that they had won £1.1 million.
The Romanian couple, expecting a Millennium baby, were unable to open an account at the Bank of Ireland branch in College Green, Dublin, because they did not have all the necessary papers.
Gabriel and Isabella Casaneanu, both aged 25, said doubts about legal status have tempered their celebrations. They have lived in daily fear of a knock at the door to tell them to leave, as they are still waiting for their applications for asylum to be processed.
From Bacau in north-east Romania, they were watching the James Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, when they realised their luck in the mid-week draw.
"It's hard to believe," said Gabriel, speaking English and sipping Bollinger champagne. "I didn't sleep last night, I didn't eat, I didn't drink. I was only thinking."
They marked seven numbers instead of six on the ticket they bought at the ILAC centre in Dublin. They had come close to tearing it up, but decided to cancel just one digit, chosen at random.
When Gabriel, still looking for a job, went to the bank with his passport and two domestic bills, but was told that he needed a letter from an employer saying he had a job or an offer to open an account.
He came to Ireland 2 1/2 years ago and Isabella arrived later. They live in north inner Dublin. Their first baby is due on December 27th, so there is a chance that it could be born on New Year's Eve. Gabriel's sister, Lila, and her husband, Dan, also live in Dublin with two young children.
Gabriel would like to buy a house and hoped the Lotto money would ensure a good future for their baby. "This is only money," he said, pointing out that money cannot buy everything: "I can't ask the Minister for Justice if I can buy my residence . . . I'm not sure about my situation. I'm nothing and to be nothing is not a good thing."