Lotto fever has gripped the country ahead of tonight's record €16 million jackpot.
The National Lottery predicted that up to two-thirds of the adult population will buy tickets for the draw.
It urged all would-be millionaires to buy their tickets early to avoid queues.
An incredible two million tickets were sold for the mid-week draw - the highest sales in the game's 20-year history.
The National Lottery said it was experiencing unrivalled levels of interest. There are also predictions that lottery outlets in border counties could benefit from a surge in customers from the north.
No one has won the top prize for five weeks. The record number of tickets sold for the last draw on Wednesday saw almost 5,500 bought every minute between 6pm and 7.45pm.
