After The Win: What Did $117 Million Lottery Winner And Former Cleaning Woman Do?

Dolores McNamara was 45 when she won the biggest Euromillions of the time. At age 52 she is seen at a charity ball looking no older, showing how money can turn back time.

When cleaning lady Dolores McNamara won £77 million (US$117 million) in the EuroMillions lottery in 2005, it seemed her dreams had all come true.

Following the advice of National Lottery officials, Delores placed most of her EuroMillions lotto winnings in a deposit account that she couldn't touch for six months.

She told friends that she had done this so she could have time "to get her head around" the massive windfall. She had been struggling to make ends meet as a mum-of-six who worked as a cleaner before her EuroMillions lottery jackpot win. 

The old house that Dolores McNamara moved from after her win.

Dolores bought this £1.5million home in County Clare set in 38 acres.

She moved to a €1.7million (£1.5million) home in County Clare set in 38 acres and bought homes for her children and six racehorses for her husband.

Dolores later bought Tinerana House in Killaloe for her son Gary to expand his farming enterprises.

She also bought the nearby Tinarana Estate for an estimated €3.5m soon after, which boasts 2.3km of lake shore frontage and over 220 acres. It is a 16-bedroom Victorian mansion on the shores of Lough Derg, which previously operated as a health farm when it was owned by Dr Paschal Carmody and his wife, Dr Frieda Carmody.