A syndicate scooped €112,000 in the Lotto exactly 10 years after buying their first ticket together.
Christmas has come early for the nine retirement home workers from Limerick - who were just one number shy of hitting the €2.3million jackpot.
Five of the winners, from the Park Village Retirement Village in Castletroy, made the trip up to Lotto HQ in Dublin to collect their prize on Thursday.
Syndicate spokesman Pat Ryan said: "There are nine of us in the syndicate so that’s a really nice early Christmas bonus for us all to get.
"We are 10 years buying our Lotto tickets in it and it was only when the Lottery claims manager returned with the cheque, did he tell us that we bought our first ticket as a syndicate this day, 10 years ago. It’s incredible!"
Each member will collect a sweet €12,440 after matching five numbers plus the bonus in the draw on Wednesday, October 30.
The group bought their winning ticket at the Dunnes Stores in the Jetland Shopping Centre, Ennis Road.
Mr Ryan added: "We are absolutely thrilled to have won. I was scrolling through Facebook on Halloween, the day after the draw, and saw an article that a winning ticket was sold in the shop where we play.
"I jumped out of the bed, grabbed the ticket, scanned it on the National Lottery App and the message came up congratulating us and asking us to get in touch with the Lottery.
"It was a surreal moment. I waited until work the next morning before I told the rest of the gang.”
