Niamh O'Meara

A CO GALWAY woman has won a tidy €298,000 in the latest EuroMillions draw – and admits that the jackpot win couldn’t have come at a better time.

Ballinasloe woman Niamh O’Meara says she was “down to the last €24″ when she purchased her winning Quick Pick ticket in Super Valu in her hometown.

She picked up her winner’s cheque this afternoon at lottery headquarters in Dublin after picking the winning numbers for last Tuesday’s draw.

It seems it’s a case of better later than never for Niamh, who says she’s been playing the Lotto since she was 18.

“This came at the perfect time for me. I was down to the last €24 in my bank account,” she said this afternoon.

Last week the registration plate fell off the back of the car. I had to resort to the sellotape to keep it hanging on. Not any more though, my first purchase was a brand new car once I realised I had hit the jackpot.

Not that the win came as a complete surprise to the Galway woman, who was accompanied to lottery headquarters by her two sisters.

“I always felt I would win the lottery, and that one day I would be here… picking up a cheque,” she said.

Our mam passed away a few years ago and in some ways I think this was a gift she has sent me. I’m off on holidays on Monday to celebrate and after that a new house and some celebrations with the family are in order.

“‘I honestly just can’t believe it, it really is a dream come through, my whole family are only delighted for me.”

Tomorrow’s Lotto jackpot, meanwhile, is €7.5 million.

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