Lucky Lauren wins £100k on Lottery Scratchcard

Lauren McLarnon (23), a part-time employee at O’Brien’s Sandwich Bar in Abbeycentre, is looking forward to an extra special Christmas this year thanks to her life-changing win.

The mother-of-one, who is expecting her second child next year with her partner, Michael Mullen (25), said she can’t believe her luck.

“I went to Easons in Abbeycentre with my friend to buy a few things and whilst in the queue waiting to pay I thought, on a whim, that I’d see if I had enough change to buy a Scratchcard,” she explained. “After rummaging around in my purse I managed to cobble £1 together in small change and bought the £100k Rainbow Scratchcard. I very rarely buy Scratchcards so I never in a million years expected to win.”

After revealing the matching three amounts Lauren was in total shock at her good fortune and asked her friend to double check the Scratchcard just in case.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I just kept thinking it was a mistake and that I was seeing things. So I asked my friend and the lady who works behind the counter in Easons to double-check it. After they hugged and congratulated me, we all started jumping up and down, I finally realised that yes, it was true, I just won £100,000.”

Lauren, who has two sisters and one brother, eight nephews and one niece, is looking forward to a wonderful family Christmas with her three-year-old son and partner, Michael.

She added: “As there are so many of us to go around at Christmas time we normally do Secret Santa but this year I can afford to get all my nephews and niece a gift which is amazing.

“I intend to use most of the money as a deposit on a house and I want to take my son to Disneyland, however as I’m pregnant it’ll have to be Disneyland Paris - but I’m sure he won’t mind!”