Neas-up at The National Lottery

There was a right Neas-up in National Lottery offices on Wednesday morning when Kevin Nea from Killucan became the latest winner of the Lotto Plus 1 top prize of €350,000.

Kevin won his great prize in last Saturday’s Lotto Plus 1 draw, using numbers he has been playing “for the last 23, or 24 years”.

He purchased his ticket late on Saturday evening in the Post Office in Killucan.

Kevin was accompanied by his wife Kathleen, his sons (4) and daughters (4), their partners, and his grandchildren to collect his win.

The family ranges in age from 40 to 20 years. Sons include Kevin Jnr, Peter, Paul and Robert; daughters are Priscilla, Jennifer, Mandy and Amy, the youngest (20 years old). Grandchildren included Lauren (oldest at 13 years), Katie, Eoin, Chloe, Jack, Paddy, Sarah, Oisin, Charlie, Ava, Sophie and the youngest, Sean (3).

“It’s been great since I won – I’ve had an awful lot of congratulations and good wishes,” said Kevin, who is in his late 50s and has worked as a general operative in Westmeath County Council for the last 16 and a half years.

“I’ve been playing these numbers for the last 23 or 24 years – they were the first ones I put on the Lotto playslip all those years ago, and I never changed them.

“I knew they’d come in handy sooner or later. I nearly didn’t play on Saturday night. We were doing a bit of work in the house and I went very late to the Post Office in Killucan. Luckily, I was in time for the draw, or we wouldn’t be celebrating now.”

“I’m about five years off retiring so this win has come at a great time. Myself and Kathleen will look after the family, but we’re not ones for foreign holidays – we’ve never been out of Ireland – and we have no plans to travel abroad, at least at the moment.”

After pictures in the National Lottery, the family travelled by coach to Tyrrellspass Castle for a celebratory lunch.