Team DailyPedia
Northern Ireland – Last year, Margaret Loughrey, an unemployed local of Strabane, won £27 million and decided to give £26 million away.
The money was spent on helping charities and developing her home town into a tourist spot.
In an interview with Sunday Life, she says, “As soon as I won the money I said it would go for the good of the town. I’ve already given half of it away. I always said one for me, and the rest for the town.”
According to the selfless winner, her plan of buying Strabane’s vacant 22 acre business park to install a craft village was turned down by Invest NI because it did not meet their criteria.
“I don’t really need Invest NI, I can buy somewhere else – but I wanted to give them a boost,” Loughrey said.
What she did was buy a 62-acre old mill, near the River Mourne, just outside the town worth £1 million which she plans to convert into a destination for leisure to draw tourists.
One of her plans was also to put up a museum that will draw attention to the North West’s industrial heritage. In addition, she wanted to create football pitches and a bowling alley.
“There is so much talent in the Strabane area, people just need to be given a chance. Everyone has the right to work for a living, to support their families, to buy their own home, to run their own business – these are things everyone should have a right to do.”
Loughrey said her previous circumstances had influenced her to help other people.
I know what it’s like to have nothing. That’s why I’m giving it away – I can’t miss what I never had.
