Irish dad Damien Gillan, a self-employed plastererer, has won $230,000 in the Northern Irish lottery.

Gillan was reduced to a three-day working week and had only recently cancelled a family trip to Spain as he struggled to pay the bills.

The father of two young girls said he was dreading the expensive run up to Christmas.

"We were planning to go to Salou, but to be honest the work wasn’t there to afford it.

“We were all very disappointed, but now it shouldn’t be a problem,

“Things were really bad as far as work was concerned and I just can’t believe my luck,” Mr Gillan said.

Only last August an unemployed Irish father of six won $7.5 million in the lottery.

Gillan plans to bring his family on a well-deserved holiday and also plans on making a considerable donation to the Armoy Glen Rovers hurling team, which Gillan proudly manages.