A winning Irish Lottery ticket worth over €6m has gone unclaimed after a pub owner who said he had it turned out to be joking.

The winning ticket was bought from Mimmagh's shop in Slane, a small village 50 kilometres from Dublin, and the identity of the winner has become the talk of the town, according to local media.

Rumour spread that Brian Kelly, a local pub owner, was the elusive ticket holder as a friend congratulated him on his Facebook page the day after Wednesday's draw as a prank.

Kelly told the Meath Chronicle that he played along with the joke at first but was inundated with calls and texts from well-wishers and even the national media.

Joe Lo