Lucky Drogheda family syndicate collect their €500,000 Lotto win

The Donnelly family from Louth, fondly known as "The Donn's", experienced a moment of pure joy and excitement as they claimed the EuroMillions Plus top prize of €500,000 today at National Lottery HQ! This tight-knit clan of 18, including brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces, have been playing together for two years, and this is their first major win.

The Donn's purchased their winning ticket on Friday, 24th January, from Centra, The Mell, Drogheda, Co. Louth. Last week was certainly a remarkable one for the smallest county in Ireland. Not only did the Donn's strike it big, but Louth also celebrated its first Lotto jackpot winner of 2025, who secured a whopping €4,642,646. That winning ticket was sold just 2.5km from the Donn's purchase, at Centra, Platin Road, Drogheda, Co. Louth.

"We've been playing as a family for two years, and it's always been a fun way to stay connected.” said Kenneth Donnelly, the head of the family syndicate.

Kenneth admitted that he’s a very honest Lottery player, photographing the bought tickets for the week ahead and sharing any wins in their group chat. Every month, he collects €10 from the members to go towards the month’s tickets, mainly EuroMillions – but they’d certainly take a Lotto win!

“We've had small wins of €4 or €8, which we usually bundled together to celebrate at Christmas. I’m usually very good at checking the tickets on the night, or soon after the draw. But this time, it slipped my mind, and my wife text me that the winning EuroMillions Plus ticket was bought in The Mell – our local!” he added.

“When I saw the winning numbers, I nearly died with shock! I was at work in Dublin and had the ticket sitting in the car back in Drogheda. I immediately had to drive back to check the ticket, and when I scanned it on the app, it popped up 'You've Won Big'. I sent a screenshot to our group chat, (not-so) very creatively called 'Lotto-group', and it just erupted in excitement!"

The Donn family had always joked that their small wins were contributions towards buying a small island. Now, with their significant win, their dreams have grown even grander. One family member has already booked a trip to Nashville, and the long-awaited family trip to New York is back on the table.

Emma Monaghan, National Lottery spokesperson, commented: "We are absolutely delighted for the Donn family and their incredible win. It's so heartwarming to see a family come together and share such a joyous occasion. We wish them all the best in their adventures and celebrations—and maybe we’ll be hearing about Donn Island in the near future!"

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.