Staff down tools at hardware shop after Lotto win

Tag : Hardware And Tools

 STAFF at a hardware store which was destroyed by fire last year --putting them out of work just before Christmas -- have scooped a€2m Lotto win.
Last night the syndicate -- whose members are in line for a payoutof €133,000 each -- said there "hasn't been a tap of workdone" since they realised they won the mid-week jackpot.
Thirteen workers at Bredin's Hardware, Quin Road in Ennis, Co Clare , and two customers, share the win.
One syndicate member, who asked not to be named, said he found outabout the win just minutes after crashing his car.
"I was having a really bad day," he said.
"I went to O'Dowd's shop to check my own numbers, but won nothing.
"As I was pulling away from the shop, I backed in to someone's car,causing €2,000 worth of damage. Then I got a phone call fromGina in Bredin's to say our syndicate won the Lotto and I couldn'tbelieve it."
Last November, a fire caused €2m worth of damage to Gerry Bredin 's business forcing him to close -- he then reopened at a newlocation three months later.
It was the second fire at the building in the space of two monthsand left employees out of work for almost 10 weeks. Company bossGerry Bredin admitted it pushed the business "to its knees".
One of the winners, Gina O'Sullivan , said yesterday: "We were out of work over Christmas. It was ahard time not having money. So things are looking up."
Mr Bredin, a member of the syndicate for the past 10 years, said:"We are absolutely delighted, especially after the bad end to lastyear. We still can't believe it, but we always kept the faith. Wehave been doing the numbers for the 10 years at Jim O'Dowd 's shop.
"I heard on the local radio that the Lotto was won in O' Dowd's. Iasked the girl here who organises the Lotto to check the numbersand when she went to her desk all we heard was a scream.
"She asked for someone else to check the numbers and we all did,and there hasn't been a tap of work done since."
Mr Bredin was delighted.
"This win is a sort of payback for all the bad luck. This is agreat boost," he said, adding that one staff member, a Polish man,chose not to be part of the syndicate. "We're having a whip aroundand we're going to sort him out. He will be more or less in theLotto. He won't be out of it."
The winning numbers were 4, 8, 16, 27, 32, and 38; bonus 30.