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'Surprisingly calm' Irish lottery winner lands £152m

Ticket.
The lucky ticket was bought Reilly’s Daybreak in Naul, a village north of Dublin. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

The winner of a €175m (£152m) EuroMillions jackpot who phoned Ireland’s national lottery to claim the prize was described as “very together” and “surprisingly calm”.

News was spreading on Wednesday of the country’s biggest-ever jackpot.

The lucky ticket was bought at a store called Reilly’s Daybreak, in Naul, a village north of Dublin, prompting jubilation among staff and customers.

The winning numbers 01, 08, 18, 19, 39 and “lucky stars” 07 and 09 in the Europe-wide lottery were drawn in Paris on Tuesday night.

Miriam Donohoe, a spokesperson for Ireland’s Lotto, said the ticket-holder rang its Dublin office on Wednesday morning sounding composed and calm. “We can confirm we have heard from the holder of the winning ticket but are not in a position to give any more details at the moment.”

Rumours spread on social media that the ticket had been bought by a family syndicate based in Duleek, a village in County Meath north of Dublin.

“I’m absolutely delighted to hear that the EuroMillions was won in the constituency,” tweeted Thomas Byrne, a TD for Meath East. “From what I’m hearing (and don’t ask me!), it couldn’t have happened to nicer people. Congratulations!”

Sharon Keogan, a county councillor, tweeted: “Get Duleek cleaned up quick, the world’s media is on its way. What a fabulous amount of money to win for this extended family.”

It’s the biggest Lotto jackpot won by an Irish ticket-holder.

A couple from Moira, in County Down, Northern Ireland, set the island’s previous EuroMillions record in January with a £115m jackpot.

Frances and Patrick Connolly said that upon realising they had won, they sat in silence and stared at each other for 10 minutes, then made a cup of tea. They told a press conference they would share the prize with 50 friends and relatives.