Winners celebrate Northern Ireland's luckiest lottery year

National Lottery winners from across Northern Ireland came together at one of Belfast's top restaurants to celebrate 5,000 millionaires across the UK since the very first draw in November 1994.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jun 2018, 13:19 BST
Updated 19th Jun 2018, 16:57 BST
National Lottery winning binman Stephen Inglis from Bangor serves up a glass of lady luck to fellow lottery winners (l-r) Claire Marks (Ballyclare), Mary Hamilton (Belfast), Stephanie Harkin (Derry/Londonderry) and Catherine Kidd (Draperstown) at a party to celebrate 5,000 millionaires across the UK since the very first draw in November 1994. Pic by Kelvin Boyes, PressEyeNational Lottery winning binman Stephen Inglis from Bangor serves up a glass of lady luck to fellow lottery winners (l-r) Claire Marks (Ballyclare), Mary Hamilton (Belfast), Stephanie Harkin (Derry/Londonderry) and Catherine Kidd (Draperstown) at a party to celebrate 5,000 millionaires across the UK since the very first draw in November 1994. Pic by Kelvin Boyes, PressEye
National Lottery winning binman Stephen Inglis from Bangor serves up a glass of lady luck to fellow lottery winners (l-r) Claire Marks (Ballyclare), Mary Hamilton (Belfast), Stephanie Harkin (Derry/Londonderry) and Catherine Kidd (Draperstown) at a party to celebrate 5,000 millionaires across the UK since the very first draw in November 1994. Pic by Kelvin Boyes, PressEye

The winners were also celebrating Northern Ireland’s luckiest lottery year by far, with an amazing 14 new millionaires being created here between April 2017 and April 2018 - an average of one millionaire every 26 days.

The latest wins bring the total number of National Lottery millionaires in Northern Ireland to an incredible 117.

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In all, 748 players from Northern Ireland have banked a big prize of £50,000 or more - out of a national UK figure of more than 38,800 big winners across all National Lottery games since 1994.

National Lottery winners and guests from Northern Ireland came together at one of Belfasts top restaurants to celebrate 5,000 millionaires across the UK since the very first draw in November 1994. Pic by Kelvin Boyes, PressEyeNational Lottery winners and guests from Northern Ireland came together at one of Belfasts top restaurants to celebrate 5,000 millionaires across the UK since the very first draw in November 1994. Pic by Kelvin Boyes, PressEye
National Lottery winners and guests from Northern Ireland came together at one of Belfasts top restaurants to celebrate 5,000 millionaires across the UK since the very first draw in November 1994. Pic by Kelvin Boyes, PressEye

National Lottery Winners’ Advisor Kathy Garret, who deals with the majority of Northern Ireland’s winners, said: “It’s amazing to think that there have been 5,000 players that have become a millionaire thanks to a life-changing lottery win and an astonishing 117 of them have come from Northern Ireland.

“Whether they believed in luck or fate and no matter how they have spent their winnings, each winner followed the same path; they simply bought a ticket or a scratchcard and joined the lottery millionaires club as a result.

“The National Lottery is now creating more millionaires than ever before and we can’t wait to see how many more winners in Northern Ireland join the ever-growing club.”

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Meanwhile, a survey of Northern Ireland lottery players has revealed that, along with getting a new home, sharing their winnings with family, friends and giving to charity would be top of the list of things to do after a big win of £1m+.

While 63% of Northern Ireland folk would fork out for a new home, 44% would splash the cash on helping out family and friends.

We’re also the most charitable region of the UK with 17% saying they would give money to charity – compared to a national average of 12%.

Related topics:Northern IrelandNational LotteryBelfast