A forgetful Lotto winner has just nine days to collect a £500,000 jackpot.
If the winner fails to come forward before Friday week, the jackpot will become the largest ever unclaimed National Lottery prize.
Curiously, the draw in question, on Saturday, September 5th, was a special extra draw, the jackpot for which was taken from the Lotto's unclaimed prizes fund.
"As a result, this is an unclaimed prize," a spokesman for the National Lottery said.
The £2 quick pick winning ticket was purchased on the day of the draw at Newtown Stores, Tramore, Co Waterford. It was the sole winning ticket for the special extra draw which was held immediately after the regular Lotto draw.
The numbers were 2, 15, 22, 32, 33, 38 and bonus 6.
Mr Gerry Purcell, the shop owner, said there are still rumours as to who the winner might be. However, he said, "the general feeling is that the ticket was lost or dumped. It's a terrible waste."
He said people had gone to great lengths, even so far as "turning wheelie bins upside down", to try to find the winning ticket.
Each year, an estimated £3 million of National Lottery scratch card and Lotto prizes go unclaimed. All of the money, estimated at 1 per cent of the company's total sales, goes into an unclaimed prizes fund which provides money for super bonus jackpots and special draws.
