A married couple from Cork City kicked their weekend off in style today as they travelled to Dublin to collect a cheque for €500,000 for hitting the Lotto Plus 1 jackpot on Wednesday, July 13.

The winning couple, who wish to keep their identities private, bought their winning Quick Pick ticket at the Daybreak store on Grand Parade in Cork City on the day of the draw.

As they both relaxed in the National Lottery winners’ room, the winning wife who purchased the ticket joked that she is not a regular Lotto player and was only prompted to buy it as she shopped for some groceries.

“We were buying some bread and milk in the shop and when I got to the till, I saw the signs for the Lotto and decided to buy a ticket,” she said.

“As I am not a regular Lotto player, I asked the shop keeper for two Lotto tickets, thinking that I would get two lines.

“I was a bit confused when he handed me the two separate tickets but I kept them both just in case one of them was a winner!”

The lucky couple found out about their win when news of the €500,000 jackpot win was the talk of the town.

“Everybody was talking about the big win in the shop but we were adamant that we would never be that lucky,” she said.

“When my husband eventually checked the results on his phone, we just couldn’t believe it.”

The couple plan to enjoy their new found fortune and already have an eye on the future with their plans.

“We absolutely love to travel and we always said that we would like to buy a holiday home abroad,” she said.

“We have already been looking at some beautiful houses so we will take some time out and explore our options.”

Tonight’s EuroMillions jackpot is an estimated €55m.