Tag Archives: matchmaker

Forget about Tinder, Plenty of Fish and Grinder, Clare’s resident matchmaker says when it comes to dating, nothing beats the real thing. As preparations get underway for the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, Willie Daly says, “I know a lot of people have gone computerised on things like Plenty of Fish but there’s nothing like the real thing. When these guys are out dancing and they have an arm around a woman and feel the lovely softness of a woman and hold her hand, there’s a saying that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. It is very hard to beat the real thing.” The festival kicks off a little later than usual on September 3 but with it running until October 9, there will be plenty of opportunities for those looking for love. The festival is attracting a lot attention from the US and the matchmaker says men and women are flocking to Lisdoonvarna to find an …

Lisdoonvarna looks set to attract even more visitors to its annual matchmaking festival this September after its most famous son featured in the New York Times recently. The North Clare Spa town, by all accounts, attracted record tourist numbers during the five-week festival last year. However, one local hotelier says interest is already surging, from the United States in particular, following Willie Daly’s extensive coverage in the well-known paper. “This article appearing in the New York Times certainly is a bonus for us. Usually, interest in the festival really gets going in May and June but this is worldwide coverage and getting into something like the New York Times, a well established and world-famous paper, is amazing. That type of press coverage will definitely help Lisdoonvarna this year,” said Marcus White of the White Hotel Group, of which the Hydro Hotel, the Imperial Hotel and the Burren Castle Hotel are all part. The socio-economic demographic of NY Times readers increases …

An American “celebrity” mother and daughter will be hoping that cupid’s arrow strikes next month during the 157th Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival. According to one of Ireland’s last traditional matchmakers, Willie Daly, the duo joked they would consider hooking up with an Irish father and son during the festival. Mr Daly insists the two Americans are quite “famous and well known in the acting industry” and would be regarded as a “celebrity” couple. However, he isn’t at liberty to disclose their identity at this point in time. He said the mother who was well off and married previously but was keen to find an Irish man who was willing to marry her. They will be part of two large separate groups of Americans travelling from NewYork, MIllapolios and Chicago who will be looking for love on from September 12 to 17 and September 20 to 20th. While Americans are frequent visitors to the Spa town for the matchmaking festival, the third …