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Big-hearted Lottery winner Margaret Loughrey plans to give away £26million.

And the Northern Ireland woman, who hit the EuroMillions jackpot last December , has revealed she's already handed out half of her fortune.

Margaret won the lottery after buying a ticket on her way home from the Job Centre.

She was living on benefits of £58 a week at the time of her mammoth win.

Since the windfall she's been handing out money to help people in need.

And she said: "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.

"I spent half of my adult life unemployed and the other half on the minimum wage so I know only too well how hard things can be."

Her benevolent outlook has been to the benefit of her hometown of Strabane.

She's the director of nine companies set up since May, including six new firms registered just last week.

Margaret has also paid £1million for the iconic Herdman's Hill in Sion Mills and plans to transform it into a major leisure and tourism site, creating scores of job opportunities.

She told the Sunday Life: "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 I'd keep £1million for myself and give the rest to the town.

"There is so much talent here 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.

"People just need to be given opportunities."

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