I won BIG money on the lottery and was scared after getting a huge check, it’s scarier than you think

A LOTTO winner who walked around Dublin with a million euros in his back pocket before finding a bank to deposit it said: “I’ve never been happier in my life getting rid of money.”

Michael Cosgrave ran a Co Mayo syndicate of 47 retirees that made a famous Daily Millions win in November 2022.

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But he told the Irish Sun that instead of getting a check for everyone, he left Lotto HQ with just the ‘big one’ – and more money in his account than he’d ever dreamed of.

He said: “It was actually a bit awkward because we were 47 and I wanted 47 different checks but they only gave me one big one!

“I then had to write out the other 46 myself, which were around 21,276 euros each.

“So we all came to Dublin and I alone left with a €1million check.

“I didn’t want to be walking around Dublin with a million euros in my back pocket, so I knew I had to put it in my bank account.

“I set up a meeting with a Bank of Ireland around the corner and thank goodness I managed to get rid of them.

“I’ve never been happier getting rid of money in my entire life.”

The Young At Heart group, based in Parke just outside Castlebar, danced into the Lotto HQ to collect a €1million check.

The syndicate, founded by Dubliner Michael in 2015, has played EuroMillions Lotto every week for over seven years and walked away with a Daily Millions jackpot after buying the winning ticket with her ‘change’.

Michael, who has lived in Parke since 2002, figured the delicious wad of cash would be out of his account within days of mailing the checks to his colleagues.

However, the syndicate was in less of a hurry than he thought – and to borrow an expression from Father Ted, he had hundreds of thousands of euros in his bank account.

He said: “I expected everyone to flock to the bank and cash the checks, but only about half a dozen did at once.

“And after about a week, when I still had about half a million in my account, it was a weird feeling.

“With all that money in my account, I was afraid of being hacked!”

“Reap the Rewards”

Luckily all the money has since been claimed and Micheal is now being hailed as a hero by locals.

He said: “Having a million euros in the bank is fine but I was happier to see 47 happy faces around me.

“I’ve made all these friends since I moved here and I’m so lucky to have so many.

“They’ve supported me all these years, so I’m glad they’re reaping the rewards now.

“And everyone was so grateful at the time, they hugged me and kissed me.

“I thought my wife would get very jealous.”

Cruises, Iceland trips and the vacation of a lifetime were just a few of the things the syndicate members intended to do with their winnings when they arrived at Lotto Headquarters in November.

Faced with a cost of living crisis, Micheal said: “I know a lot of us had big plans for the wins, but I’m just glad everyone was able to enjoy their Christmas without having to worry about their bills or how they’re going to get their house heat.

“That can be a real concern for people, so I hope the money helped lift that burden.”

“WE COULD BE LUCKY AGAIN”

Confident that their luck will continue, the syndicate continues to play Euromillions every week.

Michael said: “We still play every week and we even have a few new members who want to join.

“Playing doesn’t break the bank and we had a few wins here and there before taking the big one.

“We could be lucky again, you never know!”

Mayo has a reputation as a lucky lottery district.

Four jackpots at Castlebar alone – including the record first prize of €19.06 million in January 2022 – have helped propel the county to the top of the earners’ list since the game launched in 1988.

In over 34 years, Mayo has managed to bag 183 mega prize pots totaling €195,074,820, which equates to just over 14 winners for every 10,000 people.

A shopkeeper who once sold a winning ticket in Ireland’s luckiest lottery district has every faith that he too will win the jackpot there after a phenomenal winning streak.

“Someday I’ll win it”

Newspaper seller Martin Murphy runs a shop in Ballinrobe and sold a winning ticket worth €6.38 million to his brother-in-law Gerard Murphy back in August 2015.

He told the Irish Sun: “I think people are comfortable here.
“You would know that there have been a number of big jackpots here. But I suppose the luckier you are in one area, the more sales you will have.

“So shops in areas like Castlebar that have sold a couple of EuroMillions winners, when you get a name, seem like happy people will come and buy there.

“It’s almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. The luckier you are, the more people come to be a part of it.”

The shopkeeper revealed that he has never missed a draw since the lottery started and is patiently waiting for his turn to hit the jackpot.

He said: “I’ve been playing it since it started and I would never miss a draw. And I still think I’ll win it eventually. But it hasn’t happened yet.

“Look, it’s a numbers game. It’s like any game of chance, if you’re lucky it’s in.”

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