'Penney's' pennies turn into €250,000 jackpot for lucky syndicate

The 'Lotto Lovelies' Syndicate is on cloud nine today as they collected their €250,000 Lotto Plus 2 top prize from the Saturday, February 1, draw.  

This lively group, mostly made up of Penney's employees from the Swords Pavilions Shopping Centre and nearby stores, were in a tizzy of excitement, over their first big win, with 23 members of the 34-member syndicate visiting National Lottery HQ. 

Amanda Staunton, the mastermind behind the syndicate, started the group over a decade ago with hopes of hitting the jackpot one day.  

"I first started a syndicate 12 years ago in my old job, and when I joined Penneys, I carried the tradition with me – ever since, the group has been slowly growing, but it’s a fun way for us to stay connected and hold out in the hope of sharing a jackpot together one day. And here we are!” 

Despite a few smaller wins over the years, this is their first major victory. Amanda's dedication is admirable – she checks the tickets every week in store and shares the results slip in their group chat, win or lose. 

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Amanda purchased their Lotto ticket on Monday, January 27, from Spar, Drogheda Street, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.  

On the night of the draw, she had a sneaking suspicion they had a winning ticket but kept it under wraps until she could confirm with our Prize Claims team.  

"I knew most of the gang would be at work on Tuesday morning, so I asked my boss if I could give an update after his team meeting.

"When I announced we might have won €250,000, the room went bananas. It was pandemonium! I didn’t even get to finish my update", Amanda recalled. 

For the syndicate members working in other Penney's stores, a video update was shared in the ‘Lotto Lovelies’ group chat, leading to a flurry of disbelief and joy. 

Some even thought it was an April Fool's joke! The excitement was so contagious that very little work got done that day. 

The syndicate members have already started splurging their windfall, with one booking an all-inclusive holiday to soak up some sunshine and another ordering new doors and windows for their home.

The excitement of the win has everyone buzzing and plotting how to best enjoy their dazzling share of the prize. 

Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on all National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage, and the Irish Language.

In total, more than €6.5 billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 37 years ago. In 2023 alone, €227.9 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland.  

Play National Lottery games responsibly, play for fun.