Irish Euromillions lottery win: £208m jackpot claimed as selling shop reacts to jackpot

The winner of this week’s record-breaking Euromillions jackpot has come forward to claim their prize, according to the Irish National Lottery.

Valued at £208m, the jackpot stands £13m above the previous highest payout – which was clinched by an anonymous individual in 2022. 

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Tuesday’s winning ticket was sold at Clifford’s Centra, located on Shandon Street in Co. Cork, Ireland.

While the ticket-holder is yet to publicly discuss their life-changing scoop, Shandon Street’s Centra has initiated its own celebrations. 

Shop owner, Ted Clifford, received word of the win on Thursday night – and immediately thought he was being pranked.

Upon being told his Centra shop had sold the £208m ticket, Clifford said: “This is a wind-up, is it? You’re joking me.”

When asked how he felt about the result, Clifford joked that although pleased to have sold the successful ticket, he was “gutted” he had not bought it himself.

A third-generation owner of Clifford’s Centra in Co. Cork, Ted Clifford is a strong member of the local community. 

However, his deep connection with those in the area has not helped him to uncover the winner’s identity. Speaking to Morning Ireland, Clifford explained that the team at his Centra shop “have no idea” who the multi-million-pound champion might be.

On potential plans for a party, he revealed that a “big celebration” is just around the corner: "So we're going to have a big celebration when I come back. The whole shop.

"There's a great buzz up there. There are a lot of people from the National Lottery and Musgraves in the shop at the moment. So there's a lot of excitement, a lot of people, and a huge, huge win.”

The still-anonymous winner correctly followed the steps set out by the Euromillions team and contacted the operator’s Prize Claims staff to declare their numbers. 

Specifically, Tuesday’s Euromillions numbers were 13, 22, 23, 44 and 49, while the Lucky Stars were 3 and 5. 

Prior to the announcement, National Lottery advisors recommended that the winner should try to “stay calm” and “have a cup of tea and let it sink in.”

Just a few days after that wise counsel, Cork’s lucky winner presented their entry to the Irish National Lottery. 

Discussing the local victory, Irish National Lottery spokesperson Emma Monaghan said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have heard from our EuroMillions winner.

"At this point, our priority is to give them the necessary time and space to make arrangements and let this life-changing news sink in."

This result marks the maximum possible haul from a Euromillions draw, as the progressive jackpot prize is capped at £208m after continuous weeks without a winner. 

It is the first time a Euromillions victor has hailed from the island since 2022, when an individual landed £26m thanks to a service station ticket bought in Co. Tipperary. 

In total, 92,000 people earned Euromillions rewards across the country this week.