The Abbeyleix GAA club was delighted recently to sell a winning lotto ticket for €20,000, even if it did go to neighbouring Ballinakill.
Pat Lalor, father of county hurler Podge, was the lucky winner of the ‘Laois Clubs Combined Lotto’ jackpot.
Bernie Carroll was the ticket seller, passing on the good luck to her brother-in-law.
“The jackpot had been building up nicely over the past year,” club chairman Richard Kennedy said.
“It is great to see Abbeyleix and Ballinakill coming together. We were trying to keep the winner on our side of the border but it was great to have the winning ticket sold in our club,” he added.
The lotto is run under the combined clubs lotto system, which includes Abbeyleix, St Joseph’s, Stradbally, Ballinakill, Courtwood and Trumera.
“This was our second jackpot in the last two to three years. It’s a very good lotto with the clubs involved,” Mr Kennedy said.
The jackpot doesn’t go back to a low sum either, and Mr Kennedy believes it is already at between €8,500 and €9,000.
He said the process which sees the county board facilitate the lotto is a very good one, as it is a lot easier than the club trying to organise a lotto on its own.
As there are regular winners of smaller prizes also, he says it means that people are interested in purchasing tickets on a regular basis.
He said the income from the lotto is a very important one to help the club raise funds.
“It is a very important part of our fundraising. For one club to run a lotto on its own, there is a lot of risk involved,” he said.
