A couple who won £1 million in the EuroMillions have described how it "changed our life", enabling them to construct a home and restaurant on St Lucia. Bill, 64, and Cath Mullarkey, 63, returned from a holiday on the Caribbean island to discover they had hit the jackpot in 2017, prompting them to realise their dream of relocating from Coventry.
Mr Mullarkey said: "We feel so blessed. It has changed our life and the lives of other people that we've helped as well."
The pair, who had played the National Lottery "many, many times" and dreamed of owning a on St Lucia where they first met and often vacationed, were stunned to receive a message upon returning from a trip in 2017 informing them of their £1 million win.
Recalling the moment, Mr Mullarkey said: "I thought it must be something like, 'this could be you if you play tonight', but no, the lady said, 'congratulations, you're the proud winner of the EuroMillions, £1 million' and that was it," He added: "It was life-changing, but it took time to sink in. Even for a day or two, it was surreal. I'm thinking maybe we'll get a call back saying it's a mistake, but no."
He concluded: "When you see it's all signed, sealed, delivered and then that's reality when you see your bank account with zeros, wow."
The couple had always harboured dreams of owning their very own dining establishment, with one speaking fondly: "We always thought of having our own place and ideally open our own little restaurant. We never thought it would happen but we dreamed and then that was the priority, that and help family members."
They reached a point in their lives filled with resignation, as conveyed in their words: "We had got to that age in life where we thought it'd never be possible or we would be fortunate enough to think, 'where do we really want to settle down', and for me, it was a no brainer."
Fortune smiled upon them when they scooped a stunning £1 million from the EuroMillions, already being owners of a scenic plot minutes away from golden sands, setting the stage for their brave new venture.
Their labour of love led to the creation of Brigands Hideaway a dwelling endowed with mountain vistas, a refreshing pool, and their dream come truea ground-floor eatery serving up authentic St Lucian cuisine, which swung open its doors just last November.
"It's doing quite well, and it's nice working for ourselves, and Cath is very good with the local food, and it's going down well with both locals and tourists," Mr Mullarkey shared, detailing the success of their entrepreneurial journey.
He added, revealing ties to local produce and fresh seafood: "There is so much fresh produce here and we get on well with the local suppliers and farmers, and Cath's brothers are fishermen so we get fresh fish."
While they occasionally yearn for the "beautiful" Coventry, Mr Mullarkey expressed profound gratitude for their lottery luck, stressing how their windfall has blessed them beyond measure: "We were happy before, but we are even happier now, knowing that we have this. I'm grateful every day of my life and so is Cath, for the change that it's managed to bring us.
"What we're doing now is for ourselves and living our dream, doing our thing, which we dreamt of, but never thought would be possible, so it has changed our life for the better."
