A couple who scooped a £115 million EuroMillions jackpot on New Year's Day have described how they plan to share their good fortune with loved ones.

Frances and Patrick Connolly, from Moira in Northern Ireland, have begun drawing up a list of family and friends which currently stands at 50, none of whom have been told of their imminent good fortune.

Mrs Connolly, 52, said: "This is a massive sum of money and we want it to have a huge impact on the lives of other people we know and love as well as on our future too.

"This win gives us the chance to really make a difference for our family and friends.

"I always hoped we would win the lottery one day, but when we did, it would be just our luck that lots of others would win on the same day with the same numbers too - never in my wildest dreams did I think we would ever win almost £115 million."

Mr Connolly, 54, said the win felt "unreal".

The couple said they sat in silence after they had realised they had won, struggling to take it in.

Mrs Connolly said: "We don't really do excited - perhaps I raised my voice just a bit at the time when I found out - but we celebrated with a cup of tea and a hug."

Mr Connolly said: "We really didn't know what to do or how to react and we didn't sleep a wink that night. We rang Camelot at 8am in the morning to verify the win.

"Then it started to dawn on us that it was true even though it still hasn't really sunk in."

The couple, who have been together for 30 years and have three grown-up daughters and three grandchildren, are still deciding how to treat themselves.

Mrs Connolly would like to buy a second hand Jaguar and her husband says he just wants to shower his wife with gifts, although a holiday to Mauritius could be on the cards as well as some trips to watch rugby matches and a F1 Grand Prix.

The pair live in a rented home and were considering a move to Croydon in March as Mr Connolly had been offered a new job as an operations manager.

But since finding out about the win, he has decided to retire for now.

Mrs Connolly has worked previously as an educational programme coordinator and is planning to do a PHD in clinical psychology.