A lottery player from Cork has become Ireland’s latest millionaire after winning €1,000,500 during the National Lottery’s special Lotto Plus Raffle promotion. The lucky ticket was purchased online and secured both the standard raffle payout and a major bonus prize.
The special draw took place on Saturday night as part of the Lotto Plus Raffle. Normally, each draw produces between 60 and 120 winners, with every ticket matching the raffle number receiving €500.
Special draw delivers €1 million bonus
For this promotional event, all tickets holding the winning raffle number were automatically entered into an additional one-off draw. From those qualifying entries, a single ticket was selected to receive an extra €1 million prize.
The Cork player’s ticket carried raffle number 1725. That meant the winner collected the usual €500 raffle prize along with the extra €1 million bonus, bringing the total payout to €1,000,500.
The win makes the Cork ticket holder the fourth National Lottery millionaire of 2026.
According to the Irish National Lottery, the winner has already been contacted through their online account.
Lottery officials confirm winner notification
National Lottery spokesperson Sarah Orr confirmed that the winner has been notified and encouraged to check their account.
“What a weekend it’s been for a Lotto player in Cork,” she said. “An email has been sent to the online winner’s account encouraging them to check their account. The Saturday night winners should now make contact with our Prize Claims team who will make arrangements for them to visit Lottery Headquarters and collect their prize.”
Other winners from Saturday’s draw
While the Cork player secured the biggest prize of the night, two additional players also celebrated significant wins. Players from Kildare and Galway each won €42,191 in the main Lotto draw.
Earlier millionaire wins this year
The Cork prize follows several other big wins recorded in 2026. A player won €1,005,000 in the EuroMillions Ireland Only Raffle on 13 February after purchasing their ticket at the Spar store on 122 Drumcondra Road Upper.
Another winner secured the top prize in the Daily Million draw on 16 February. Later in the month, a massive €11,101,286 Lotto jackpot was won on 25 February after a ticket purchase at Kelly’s Mace at the Circle K Service Station on Mulranny Road in Newport.
Lottery funding supports Irish communities
Beyond the jackpots, the National Lottery contributes heavily to public initiatives. Nearly 30 cent of every €1 spent on National Lottery games goes toward Good Causes supporting sport, youth services, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage and the Irish language.
In 2024 alone, the lottery generated €239.3 million for community projects across Ireland. One organisation recognised during the year was the Alliance for Immigrant and Refugee Women in Ireland (AkiDwA), which received €35,000 after being named National Lottery Good Cause of the Year.
How winners can claim their prizes
Major winners from the draw are advised to contact the National Lottery Prize Claims team to begin the process of collecting their prize. Winners can reach the claims team on 1800 666 222 or by email at claims@lottery.ie.
Once verified, arrangements are made for winners to visit Lottery Headquarters to formally collect their prize.
