Shawn Keeley, an Irish Lotto winner who scooped £1 million on a scratch card in 2020, has died suddenly but peacefully in the Philippines. He was in his 30s.
The former manager of Eurospar in Dungiven, County Derry, purchased the winning '£50M Mega Cash Showdown' scratch card from McNicholl's Eurospar in Dungiven. It is understood he had been living in the Philippines recently.
Tributes have been flooding in from friends and former colleagues. One friend said: 'I can't believe he's gone. Shawn was a man who could light up any room as soon as he walked into it.' A former work colleague added: 'I had the pleasure of working with you in Eurospar and many a laugh we had. Rest in peace.'
Shawn's death notice was published by McLaughlin Funeral Directors in Dungiven. It stated that he died on 23 May 2026 and is survived by his parents Tiney and Noel, brothers Christopher, Paul and Gauvin, and his partner E.J. The family has requested donations to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust in lieu of flowers.
Reflecting on his win in 2020, Shawn recalled buying scratch cards with his winnings from a previous smaller win and discovering he had won the top prize of £1 million. 'All of a sudden, I could see that my numbers matched and the card was telling me that I had won the top prize of one million pounds,' he said.
