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20th Aug 2019

Ireland’s biggest festival for single people is returning soon

Paul Moore

Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival

Know any single people that would be up for a trip?

If countless nights out, various blind dates and Tinder aren’t doing the trick, singletons of all ages will be happy to know that Ireland’s biggest singles festival – the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival – is returning very soon.

Every September, thousands of singletons flock to the five-week festival in the small western town of Lisdoonvarna, in the hope of finding love and having the craic.

This year’s event will see The Stunning brewing up a storm on the first weekend of the festival, which takes place from 30-31 August at the Marquee.

Joining them on the bill at the rock/folk weekend will be Hermitage Green, Riptide Movement and All Folk’d Up.

Country music fans won’t be disappointed either as the second weekend of the festival sees Derek Ryan, Mike Denver Cliona Hagan and Barry Kirwan return to take the stage on 6 and 7 September at the Marquee.

Aside from these musical highlights, the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival continues for the whole month of September, jam packed with music and events in plenty of venues.

Each day, the dating fun starts at 11am in the morning until late.

The traditional dance weekends are on 13 -15 September, 20-22 September and 27-29 September.

The popular tea dances at the historic Spa Wells are back again this year and they take place at 12-2pm with Larry McEvoy and his band.

Willie Daly, Lisdoonvarna’s third generation matchmaker, believes that when it comes to love, the old ways are still the best.

“I don’t go near the internet myself and I’m certain the old way of matchmaking is far better than any computer,” he said.

Willie offers couples face-to-face introductions and says that initial physical attraction is one of the most important things in matchmaking.

“Tinder and other dating apps are done through a machine and that can be cold and emotionless. In traditional matchmaking you look into each other’s eyes, and reach out and touch the other person. Matchmaking doesn’t stop at any age, even if you are 50 or 60 or more doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t like to have companionship or friendship and find someone you can relate to and talk to.”

If you’re interested in heading along, The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival begins on 30 August and will run for five weeks until 29 September.

More details can be found here.

Topics:

Dating,News