Have you ever found yourself wishing that you were in love? Picking petals off of a flower to find out if s/he really does or does not love you? Or trying to catch the eye of the object of your affections, only to realize, they don't actually know you? What about trying to find a normal, available, and awesome person that totally suits your personality, even just for one date? Have you ever considered creating an online dating profile, or downloading the infamous app Tinder? Better yet, do you have an online dating profile?
If you never answered yes to any of the questions above, you're lying to yourself. We are all familiar with the trials and tribulations of dating (both online and/or in person), are we not? In a world where every other commercial is for an online dating service like E-Harmony, Christian Mingle or Match.com, I think the message is pretty clear: meeting people to date is difficult. In Ireland it's not too different. Although, there is one pretty awesome exception. Enter, Willie Daly, the only remaining "true" matchmaker in Lisdoonvarna.
Lisdoonvarna, a small town in County Clare is famous for two things: spas and the annual month long Matchmaking Festival, presided over by Willie Daly. Matchmaking, an age old tradition in the Irish culture, is still going strong, thanks to this beloved (and flamboyant) festival, held every September. Why September? Simply, it marked the end of the harvest and thus became the peak month for farmers to take holidays in the late 1800s. The streets would be filled with music, cheer, laughter, and dancers, swinging the night away and falling in love with the aid of professional matchmakers.
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| a statue in the town square commemorating festivals of old |
Today the dancing and music continue, as does the tried and true method of traditional matchmaking. How, you may be wondering? Well, upon arrival to Lisdoonvarna, you will quickly and easily spy the very, very colorful and rather obvious home of Willie Daly's pub, The Matchmaker Bar.
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| one definitely does not have to spend too much time searching |
Once you have successfully located the pub (either by following the throngs of men and women (of all and any ages, or by following the music, or by looking up the street, or any combination of methods), all you have to do is get inside, turn left and fight your way into the matchmaking office. Once safely inside the office you have a chat with Willie or his daughter, fill out some very basic information (name, address, phone number, preferred age range, interests and hobbies, and what you are looking for in a proper suitor) and pay 10 euros processing fee. The whole process takes about ten minutes.
If you are lucky, you will catch a glimpse at the gigantic leather bound and age beaten book that Willie uses to create his matches. A cross section of it can be seen at the top left of the above picture. Finally, after a handshake and wink you are released back into the crowd with the promise of a match in the upcoming week, either by mail or phone. Some eager souls come back each weekend in order to meet their matches personally!
Now, how successful is this type of matchmaking/dating? Quite, as it turns out, there are many marriages that have come out of this very festival! But hey, most people who attend the festival (yours truly) are looking for fun, not necessarily marriage, so how can we really get a register on how successful (or not) it is!?
Oh! As a side note, you may find yourself in the news! Check it out!
See Link for my cameo in Irish news!
Link to Matchmaking Festival Website
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