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The biggest-ever EuroMillions jackpot has been claimed by a lucky punter, now £213million richer. The life-changing ticket was sold by a Cork retailer in Ireland, confirmed the National Lottery, who is giving the winner a moment to “let this life-changing news sink in”.
Yet for Dolores McNamara, who previously held the record for the country’s biggest win, the win had some rather disturbing consequences.
The former cleaner scooped £98million in 2005, with next month marking 20 years since the astonishing win. The Limerick mother was at the Track Bar with friends when she casually laid down her €2 (£1.70) lottery slip and requested: “Check that for me.”
It wasn’t long before she burst into tears on realising she’d won the jackpot, as it unfolded live on television.
Recalling the eventful evening, a barmaid said: “Then the drink started flowing and the champagne was poured and we had a great night celebrating. Dolores is a real nice woman and none of her friends believe this will change her drastically.”
After making headlines, her solicitor issued a statement expressing their client’s “desire to return to normality as soon as possible”. He commented: “She is absolutely determined that her feet and the feet of her family, will remain firmly on the ground.”
However, Dolores’ aspirations for a regular life were quickly shown to be unachievable – evidenced early on by the rumoured need for an additional van for the local post, due to the overwhelming number of begging letters sent her way.
Like anyone fortunate enough to come into a staggeringly large sum of money, Dolores splurged on properties for herself and her family.
Lough Derg Hall, a striking property in Killaloe, Clare, boasting magnificent lake views, became her home for €1.7million (£1.4m). The stunning Victorian mansion was once reportedly considered by Hollywood star Robert De Niro.
For her children – Dawn, Gary, Kim, Kevanne, Dean, and Lee – she secured six properties in Limerick, providing each with their own home. Following this, some seven years after her win, Dolores spent more than €3million (£2.5m) on Tinarana House, a 19th-century Victorian mansion on 244 acres overlooking Lough Derg, previously owned by former Co Clare GP Paschal Carmody.
While this extravagant lifestyle allowed her to provide her family with comfort, the pitfalls of wealth were beginning to show.
After a spate of unnerving abduction threats, Dolores urgently stepped up security at her residence. Things took a more harrowing turn when it emerged that, following advice from the gardaí about a local gang’s suspected kidnapping plot, her son, his partner, and their child had to move away covertly.
The family made several property investments, splashing out around €5million (4.2m) on over 100 houses between 2012 and 2014, but these ventures led to substantial losses, with several properties facing seizure.
Now 64 years old, Dolores, granny to nine, keeps a low profile, preferring the quiet life away from the public gaze.
Her great lottery fortune has been of intense fascination to the press, yet Dolores grants interviews on rare occasions, having spoken just once to the Limerick Leader, her regional paper.
She stated in the interview: “The question that has been asked of me most frequently was how I felt about my win and my answer is still the same – I feel disbelief and shock. Buying a ticket for that Euro jackpot was a spur of the moment decision. I’d actually gone into the shop to buy a top-up for my phone and just asked the lady for a Lotto ticket.”
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