A lucky couple from County Armagh, Northern Ireland, have scooped almost £115m in the EuroMillions draw. 

The National Lottery said Frances and Patrick Connolly have become the fourth biggest winners in UK history by winning the entire £114,969,775.70 jackpot.

Rather than embark on a wild shopping spree, the couple who have three daughters and three grandchildren, have decided to share their wealth with their friends and loved ones. 

Frances, 52, said: “This is a massive sum of money and we want it to have a huge impact on the lives of other people we know and love as well as on our future too.  This win gives us the chance to really make a difference for our family and friends.”

Patrick, 54, said that after checking their numbers; “We really didn’t know what to do or how to react and we didn’t sleep a wink that night. We rang Camelot at 8am in the morning to verify the win. Then it started to dawn on us that it was true, even though it still hasn’t really sunk in.”

Frances added: “We don’t really do excited – perhaps I raised my voice just a bit at the time when I found out – but we celebrated with a cup of tea and a hug.”

A further 10 players also pocketed £1m each in the New Year’s Day draw.

Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at The National Lottery, said: “What a start to 2019 for UK EuroMillions players.”

In July 2011, Colin and Chris Weir became the biggest lottery winners in the UK – and across Europe – when they scooped more than £161m.

Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Suffolk, took home more than £148m in August 2012, while the biggest prize awarded in the country in 2018 was £121m, handed to an anonymous winner in April.

And last November, builder Andrew Clark, 51, from Boston, Lincolnshire, discovered he had won £76m – six weeks after the draw.

He said he stockpiled tickets in his van, only checking them every three months.