A whole lotto winners

A 64-strong syndicate from an East Cork school has dedicated its EuroMillions Plus top prize of €500,000 to a beloved colleague who passed away recently.

The Seomra 22 syndicate, from St Colman's Community College in Midleton, claimed the winnings on Monday at a reception at the Dean Hotel hosted by The National Lottery.

‘Up the Rebels’ could be heard as they received their prize which they won on 17 January with a quick pick ticket sold in Tim McCarthy News in Midleton on the same day.

A holiday to Bali, a 6 month supply of takeaways, and tickets to a Beyoncé concert in London and a Bruce Springsteen concert in Paris are just some of the ways syndicate members hope to spend their winnings.

Speaking at the reception, school secretary and syndicate manager Rebecca Walsh she has been stopped numerous times in the street by people wanting to congratulate her.

“The buzz around the town has been phenomenal. It’s given our town and community a real positive boost and lift, which was really needed,” said Ms Walsh.

Explaining the special meaning behind the win, she continued: “We chose Seomra 22 as the syndicate name because it means something very special to all of us. It was the room number of one of our colleagues in the school who sadly passed away. It was actually her turn to buy the ticket, which we ended up winning €500,000 on. We feel she’s looking down on us and is here with us for sure.

“Sharing this money between us has been ten times more special and way more fun than if one of us won it our own,” she added.