There’ll be huge celebrations in one Cork household this Christmas – and if you own prize bonds, it could be you
13:22, 19 Dec 2025Updated 13:31, 19 Dec 2025
Prize Bond winner bags 50k in the Rebel County
A lucky prize bond holder in Cork is now €50,000 richer as of today, having scooped the top prize in the State’s weekly draw. The winning bond was bought in 2021 by somebody here in Cork, and there’ll be plenty of people combing through their documents today to see if they’re the big winner.
The winning bond number is AYE647191, and the €50,000 jackpot is just one of the thousands of cash prizes handed out to bondholders in the weekly draws. Prize Bonds are an Irish State Savings product which, instead of paying interest, offers bondholders the chance to win cash prizes.
In this week’s draw, more than 8,754 prizes were handed out to bondholders across the state this week amounting to a total of €733,475. The smallest possible win is €75, with twenty weekly prizes of €500 and €1,000 available alongside the €50,000 weekly jackpot. A special draw for a prize of €500,000 is also held at the end of every month.
Here in Cork, we’ve seen some big wins through the prize bonds scheme with two bondholders scooping €500,000 earlier this year. The first holder won in May with a bond bought back in 2014, which was followed two months later by another Rebel who purchased their bond in 2007.
It doesn’t always take years to scoop a big win with a savings bond, as back in April, another lucky Rebel managed to claim the €50,000 jackpot just weeks after purchasing their bond – talk about a return on investment.
Prizes are automatically paid into the registered Bondholder’s bank account or are automatically reinvested in new Prize Bonds, depending on what the bondholder chooses when buying their bonds. You can check to see if you have won a prize online here, but winners receive a confirmation letter in the post.
Founded in 1957, the Prize Bonds draw is Ireland’s longest-running prize draw. Bonds are entered to win cash prizes every week. Prize Bonds are €6.25 with a minimum purchase of four – a total cost of €25 – available online or at your local Post Office.
Prize Bonds are an integral part of the wider range of Ireland State Savings products offered to retail customers by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA). The scheme is operated by the Prize Bond Company on behalf of the NTMA.
While the Prize Bond Company is a joint venture between An Post and FEXCO, all money is placed directly with the Irish Government under the management of the NTMA. Prize Bonds money forms part of Ireland’s National Debt. Repayment of all Prize Bonds money, together with the payment of prizes, is a direct unconditional obligation of the Government.