When Margaret Loughrey won the €32 million Euromillions jackpot in December 2013, she said she intended to spread the money around and 'do the right thing'. That was eight months ago and, true to her word; the generous winner has already given away nearly half of her fortune to help people in need.
At the time of her big win Loughrey was getting by on benefits and picked up her winning ticket on her way home from the Job Center.
"I know what it's like to have nothing," Loughrey said. "That's why I'm giving it away—I can't miss what I never had."
Loughrey's most recent acquisition is the historic Herdman's Mill on the banks of the River Mourne in County Tyrone, which she plans on turning into a tourist attraction that will create extra jobs in the area.
"Everyone has the right to work for a living, to support their families, to buy their own home, to run their own business," she said. "People just need to be given opportunities."
The struggle to find work is one Loughrey is all too familiar with.
"I spent half of my adult life unemployed and the other half on the minimum wage so I know only too well how hard things can be," she said.
Now the director of nine companies, Loughrey believes there is a lot of untapped talent and potential in the Strabane area and she plans to continue using her Euromillons to rectify the situation.
"I always said I'd keep €1million for myself and give the rest to the town," she said.
