Couple to share £115m jackpot with loved ones

Frances and Patrick Connolly, from Moira, in Northern Ireland, have begun drawing up a list of family and friends which currently stands at 50, none of whom have been told of their imminent good fortune. Mrs Connolly, 52, said: “This is a massive sum of money and we want it to have a huge impact on the lives of other people we know and love as well as on our future too.

“This win gives us the chance to really make a difference for our family and friends. I always hoped we would win the lottery one day, but never in my wildest dreams did I think we would win almost £115m.”

Unreal

Mr Connolly, 54, said the win felt “unreal”. The couple said they sat in silence after they had realised they had won, struggling to take it in. Mrs Connolly said: “We don’t really do excited - perhaps I raised my voice just a bit at the time when I found out – but we celebrated with a cup of tea and a hug.” Mr Connolly said: “We really didn’t know what to do or how to react and we didn’t sleep a wink that night. We rang Camelot at 8am in the morning to verify the win. Then it started to dawn on us that it was true even though it still hasn’t really sunk in.” The couple, who have been together for 30 years and have three grown-up daughters and three grandchildren, are still deciding how to treat themselves.

Mrs Connolly would like to buy a second-hand Jaguar and her husband says he just wants to shower his wife with gifts, although a holiday to Mauritius could be on the cards as well as some trips to watch rugby matches and a F1 Grand Prix.

They pair live in a rented home and were considering a move to Croydon in March as Mr Connolly had been offered a new job as an operations manager.

But since finding out about the win, he has decided to retire for now.

Mrs Connolly has worked previously as an educational programme coordinator and is planning to do a PHD in clinical psychology.

The Connollys are the fourth biggest UK winners and the biggest from Northern Ireland.

Mrs Connolly, who said their ticket was a lucky dip, insisted the win would not change them as people.

Mr Connolly bought his lucky ticket online.

He said he checked the results on his laptop later that night and then turned to his wife and said: “I think I’ve got some good news for you.”

Mrs Connolly said when she saw her husband was looking at the lottery she realised they must have won something.