Panic stations as Kerry couple 'lose' €500k EuroMillions ticket after huge win
A Kerry couple are anticipating the holiday of a lifetime after scooping half a million from Lotto numbers purchased in a beloved Cork city shop. However, they almost forfeited the prize entirely after misplacing their ticket just hours after discovering their win. The winning ticket was bought at Con's Shop on the Northside - formerly operated by legendary shopkeeper Con O'Leary before his death in 2024 - on the day of the EuroMillions Plus draw on January 27.
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Kerry couple win €500,000 after misplacing their EuroMillions ticket
The €500,000 prize was collected by a Kerry woman at the National Lottery HQ in Dublin this week, who explained she bought her numbers on impulse whilst visiting relatives in Cork. They couldn't find the ticket (Image: Getty Images) The National Lottery always recommends that winners store their tickets somewhere secure to ensure there's no anxiety about losing them. She said: "Surprisingly, I was very calm, although at first I had no idea what I'd won, so there was a bit of scrolling and scrambling through the draw results to figure it out!"
The hidden ticket and the sock drawer salvation Asia-bound dream unfolds
And this Kerry woman's partner took matters one step further - by concealing it so effectively that even he couldn't locate it. On the same night, he had to dismantle the cupboard until he finally found the ticket. He confessed that the last thing he wanted was to inform his partner about the missing ticket. Only after ensuring the ticket's safety did he reveal the close call, and together they chose a new hiding place - their sock drawer. We're heading to Asia to do some travelling. It's been on our bucket list for so long, so we can't wait to finally book it! This marks the second significant Lotto prize won from a Cork ticket in recent times. Just last week, another Cork woman scooped up a €100,000 Lotto prize and revealed her plans to use her winnings to book the holiday of her dreams.
Dublin man pockets €500,000 after missing email and hints of a cruise ahead
In other news, a Dublin man also claimed a hefty €500,000 this week from the same EuroMillions Plus draw on January 27. He confessed that he overlooked the email notifying him about the win and only discovered his fortune after checking the app. He said: "I got up earlier than usual that particular Wednesday morning and after ignoring the email the night before about my win, I decided to log in to the app and check what I had won. I never expected to see €500,000 in the little green box! I was the only one in the house up at 6am, well it was myself and the dog." "He was next to me looking for a treat and there I was trying to tell him about my big win. I ran upstairs immediately to wake my wife and tell her. She definitely didn't mind being woken up with that news! I showed her the ticket and the two of us were slightly unsure of what to do next – it's not every day that you start your morning being €500,000 better off!"
