Taxi driver stunned at million euro win

A LOCAL taxi driver who walked into the National Lottery office to check his lottery tickets recently left the building as Ireland’s newest Lottery millionaire!

The lucky winner regularly pops into Lotto HQ to have his tickets scanned at reception – but he wasn’t prepared for the news that he had won the top prize of a cool one million euro from the Daily Millions draw from January 14.

“About once a month I gather all of my lottery tickets from the car and get them checked behind the desk at the National Lottery office in Dublin city centre,” he said.

“The receptionist was checking my tickets one by one when all of a sudden, she hands me back this particular ticket, smiled at me and calmly whispered, congratulations, you’ve won a million euro.

“I was absolutely stunned, I just didn’t know what to do!”

The delighted player then proceeded to make his claim and walked out of the building with a massive cheque in his pocket.

The winning ticket was sold at the Tesco store in Phibsboro Shopping Centre on the day of the draw, Monday, January 14.

The shocked taxi driver, who admitted it will take him some time to fully comprehend his massive lottery windfall, immediately returned to work ferrying passengers around the capital.

“This is just unbelievable,” he smiled.

“I think it’s going to take a lot of time for this to properly sink in. I’m heading straight back to work for the day because I think it’s the best thing for me to focus the mind.

“I have always dreamed of having a brand new house beside the beach so it’s definitely something I’ll be thinking about as I drive around the city for the rest of the day.”

A National Lottery spokesperson said having the taxi driver walk in was a magical moment in Lotto HQ.

“Our winner had no idea he had a golden Daily Millions ticket and we are delighted for him,” a spokesperson said.

“This shows how important it is to check lottery tickets.

“Many people often forget them and leave them in a car, a handbag, or a coat pocket. Tickets can be scanned in store or through the National Lottery App.”

Meanwhile, EuroMillions fever gripped the country last week when the jackpot soared to a mega €165 million.