Just the ticket - bus drivers scoop €23m jackpot

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Dublin bus controllers Ingrid Doyle and Mark Drew at the Broadstone Depot


If your early-morning bus didn't turn up today, there's probably a good reason - your driver won the EuroMillions.

Dublin Bus was bracing itself this morning for a few no-shows in the Broadstone Depot where 22 of its drivers scooped the EuroMillions jackpot of almost €24m at the weekend, landing them more than €1m each.

And it is prophetic in a way, because the lads are all termed 'Euro drivers' in work because they work only Monday to Friday.


Just the ticket - bus drivers scoop €23m jackpot - Independent.ie

 

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At least five millionaire bus drivers turned up to work at 7am this morning - despite realising they'd won the lottery less than 48 hours ago.

A syndicate between the Dublin Bus drivers took home a whopping €23.8m in Friday night's Euromillions draw.

It is understood that there were 22 employees on the syndicate - 21 drivers and one inspector.

Most of whom are in their 50s or nearing retirement age.


Dublin Bus chief inspector at the Broadstone depot, Larry O'Brien said he suspects one or two of them might take an early retirement, but most will probably stay on as normal.


A good few took a day's leave this morning to continue the celebrations, but there's been no official party.

"I'm absolutely jealous," Mr O'Brien said.

"Ah I'm delighted for them, you have to say that, don't you?

"There was no party yet," he added.

They weren’t the only ones celebrating at Dublin Bus, as another syndicate collected a notably smaller sum last week.

“We had four of the six numbers, and had all six come in we would have won €15m,” John Cassidy, one of the 50 members of the management syndicate, told RTE Radio One’s Ryan Tubridy Show.

“I was feeling very proud of myself, I won €126, and then all of a sudden we get a phone call and my colleagues downstairs have won the big one. It was quite a weekend.”

While Mr Cassidy noted “it could easily have been us”, he said he was “delighted” for the EuroMillions winners.

“I felt absolutely thrilled and delighted for them, I’m chuffed for them. If you work with people for 25 years and you have to do a difficult job in all weathers, it’s nice when they get a break. It’s absolutely brilliant for them,” he said.

He also described their reactions when he met with a few the winners after they heard the news on Saturday evening.

“It was total disbelief, they were checking the numbers five, six, seven times and checking with each other. Like a rabbit in the headlights, they’re just standing there, they’re just out of it,” he said.

“It was some sight to see the three of them looking at their shoes and looking at the ceiling. You’re asking them questions and it’s nothing – all picture, no sound.”

Mr Cassidy offered some more details on the winners, who were all bus drivers that had worked together for years.

“They’re people that socialise together and go to matches together.

“With the nature of the work that we do being shift work, we spend more time in the company of each other than with our own families. They’re the best of friends too,” he said.

While a number of the brand new millionaires took the day off to celebrate, many of them turned up to work today.

“The atmosphere at work is absolutely unbelievable. First of all (the reaction) was shock and disbelief, and then all of a sudden you could see it in their face, they realised it. I would say they’re still trying to get their heads around it,” he said.

“The buses are out there this morning! These people are mature adults, they have families, they have children and grandchildren, it’s not as if they’re going to go mad. I’m sure quite a few of them will go to work today.”

 

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Lottery winnings in Ireland have a right to remain anonymous.

All lottery winnings are tax-free.