A Euromillions player from Co Cork picked up a cheque for €500,000 at National Lottery offices today.

With tonight’s €170m EuroMillions draw just hours away, the winner, who wishes to remain private, won the top prize in the EuroMillions Plus draw last Tuesday, October 4.

When presented with the cheque today, the lucky winner proclaimed: “That which is rare is wonderful!”

The lucky ticket was sold at the Centra Filling Station on Shean Lower in Blarney, Co Cork.

Players around the country are hoping that the luck of the Irish prevails tonight as the main EuroMillions jackpot is an estimated €170 million. If a lucky player in Ireland scoops the jackpot they will become: Ireland’s biggest ever prize winner, the 10th EuroMillions jackpot winner in Ireland and would instantly become the 85th richest person in the country (as measured by the Irish Rich List).

There have already been two EuroMillions jackpot winners in Ireland in 2016.

In January, a syndicate of friends who bought their ticket at the Eason’s Store at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow won over €66m after sharing a jackpot with a ticket holder in France worth €132,376,632.

Most recently, a 22-strong syndicate from Dublin Bus won the €23.8m jackpot on July 1. The ticket was sold in O’Hanlon’s in Portarlington.

A total of 19 players have won the €500,000 EuroMillions Plus top prize in 2016 to date.