Patrick Monahan with his cheque for €255,000 at Duffy’s Costcutter in Castlebar.
A hairdresser from Castlebar in Co Mayo has claimed an “incredible” €255,000 EuroMillions prize.
Patrick Monahan won the huge sum from the EuroMillions Ireland Only Raffle held in May.
A well-known local figure in Castlebar with more than 40 years experience in the salon, he bought the winning ticket “on a whim” at Duffy’s Costcutter on the Turlough Road in Castlebar just minutes before the cut-off for the draw on Friday, May 30.
Mr Monahan bought two tickets – one for himself and another for a friend – and held out both, asking him to choose “Left hand or right?”
The friend took the right hand, leaving him with the left and the winning ticket.
Patrick Monahan with his cheque for €255,000 at Duffy’s Costcutter in Castlebar.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Saturday, August 30
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Mr Monahan said of the win. “It’s an incredible amount of money, especially since I thought I’d won €5,000, not an extra €250,000.
He said he plans to celebrate with the friend he bought the other ticket for.
“We’ve shared plenty of laughs over the years, and this is definitely one we’ll never forget. I couldn’t celebrate without him!”
Mr Monahan’s win comes following another huge Lotto success for Mayo, with an online player taking home more than €17 million in Wednesday’s draw, marking the third biggest Lotto jackpot win in history.