Dawn and John Shields are Cavan’s newest millionaires after winning LOTTO 6/49 Gold Ball Draw on the April 13 draw, announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The married couple have played the lottery together for 20 years. They play weekly each week and always play Encore with their tickets.
The winning ticket remained in John’s wallet for two months before the two discovered the big win.
“I had to check the ticket twice and went straight home to tell Dawn,” said John. “Dawn said, ‘We better triple check it to make sure we are seeing it correctly.’”
“When we told our kids, there was a lot of excitement. They told us they had never been happier for us,” said Dawn. “They are great kids and they shed a few happy tears for us.”
The married couple say they plan to pay some bills, invest and have a nice family dinner to celebrate.
“It feels surreal to win the lottery,” said John.
“It’s everything! One day you’re living your life and then next, everything changes,” said Dawn.
The winning ticket was purchased at Pioneer On the Run on Lansdowne Street.