Co Down family scoop over £1m lottery jackpot

A County Down grandmother has spoken about how a last minute decision earned her over £1m in a lottery win.

Maire McKibbin scooped the Lotto jackpot after buying the winning ticket at her local filling station on Saturday.

The 64-year-old grandmother of seven from Kilkeel was presented with a cheque for £1,134,307 on Friday.

She revealed that she only bought the winning ticket after her husband asked her to "do another five quick picks".

The win will be shared between the family's six-strong syndicate.

And it is the second time the McKibbins have struck lucky in recent months. In June, their daughter won almost £12,000 in a lottery run by the nearby Ballymartin Gaelic Football Club.

Mrs McKibbin explained that it was a last minute decision that sealed the win.

"We were heading to the golf club on Saturday evening and Jarlath (her husband) says 'go in and do another five quick picks' and we went into Rafferty's garage and did them, and that was the ticket that clicked the six numbers," she revealed.

The couple, both past captains of Kilkeel Golf Club, were staging a charity barbecue for the local lifeboat in the caravan park they run on Saturday when they found out the good news.

"It definitely won't change my life," said Mrs McKibbin. "My feet are firmly on the ground."

When the money is divided among the six syndicate members, the McKibbins intend to donate to two local charities - the Mourne Stimulus Centre for adults with learning difficulties and the Southern Area Hospice.

After that, they may just splash out a little bit.

"Jarlath and I might just treat ourselves to a cruise," she said.