Biggest ever lottery winner 'has not come forward'

Ireland's winner of the biggest win in European lottery history has still not come forward to claim her prize, it emerged today.

National Lottery bosses revealed they have had no contact from the winner of the €115.6m prize – despite widespread publicity that housewife, Dolores McNamara, from Limerick is the holder of the golden ticket.

Paula McEvoy of the National Lottery said: “We have had no form of contact at all. The money will be here at the earliest by 2.30pm tomorrow.

“But bear in mind the winner has 90 days from Friday to collect their prize. We are hoping the winner will make contact today. There is quite a buzz around the office everyone is anticipating winners or anyone coming in. It really is nice that the prize has gone to Ireland.”

Despite the novelty giant cheque for over a €100m hanging in the National Lottery offices in Abbey Street, there was no sign of the mother-of-six appearing to collect it.

“It has to be the winner, who picks it up, whoever is the holder of the ticket. It could be a syndicate, it could be a family syndicate,” Ms McEvoy said.

“The standard procedure is that every jackpot winner has to claim their prize at the national lottery offices, that has always been the procedure since 1988.

“I’m afraid we are in a little bit of a vacuum at the moment until we have a winner that comes to claim the prize.”

Ms McEvoy said she would not be surprised if Ms McNamara fails to claim her winnings for several days.

“A group of three workers, who were claiming a substantial amount, didn’t come forward until an hour and a half before the 90 day deadline was up.”

One bemused family got caught up in the excitement as they were besieged by scores of photographers and reporters as they went to claim their more modest lotto prize.

Vera Doyle, from Dublin’s Artane, who was accompanied by her husband Stephen, and family members, were left wondering what all the fuss was about.

“Can I go now,” she joked, after she revealed they had won €1,000 on the Lotto Plus draw.

Mrs Doyle said the EuroMillions win was fantastic for the Limerick woman as she went off to spend her winnings.

However, a Hungarian chef managed sneak in past the cameras to claim his €667,248 prize from last Friday’s EuroMillions draw.

The chef, who did not wish to be named, said: “In Hungary, this prize is the equivalent of 163 million Hungarian Forint – which is about 100 year’s wages.”

The single man from Debrecen in Hungary, who lives in Dublin, said he phoned his parents at home in Hungary after checking his numbers on Saturday morning.

“I love Ireland and definitely plan to settle here,” he said, as he revealed he would be making a trip to Old Trafford to watch his local team play Manchester United if they make it through the Champions League qualifiers.

The €115.6m should be transferred from eight European headquarters to the accounts of Ireland's National Lottery by 2.30pm tomorrow.

Ms McNamara has not been seen since she abandoned her small white bungalow on St Patrick’s Road in Limerick city, where she lives with some of her youngest children and her husband Adrian, a bricklayer.

There have been requests for a white horse, a new villa in Turkey and a house from their children – Dawn, 28, Kim, 22, and Kevanne, 20 – and their three sons - Gary, 26, Dean, 15 and Lee, 13.