Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival in Ireland - thousands of hopeful lovers attending
Last updated 9/19/2009 5:04:09 PM
Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival in Ireland - thousands of hopeful lovers attending
Single? Looking for love in all the wrong places? Well set your GPS for Lisdoonvarna in Ireland for September's annual Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival and all that could change.
Each year, thousands descend upon the small Irish spa town in County Clare to search for their soul-mate at Europe's largest singles festival. It's five weeks of singing, dancing and if you're lucky, the chance of finding love.
Lisdoonvarna, with a population of around 800 people, has attracted visitors from all over Ireland to its mineral springs, since the 18th century.
A long held traditional in this central town on the southern edges of the scenic Burren area, is the matchmaking festival. After the harvests in September, young farmers from all over Ireland would shuffle into Lisdoonvarna to find themselves a potential wife, with the help of the ‘basadoiri' or matchmakers.
This tradition is upheld today by fourth generation matchmaker and horse dealer Willie Daly, who explained: "If a man wants a wife, he comes to me and asks me, Willie, you might find Herself for me."
The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival is now one of the largest matchmaking events in Europe attracting some 40,000 hopefuls and festival-goers, over the month.
Held at weekends throughout September in venues throughout Lisdoonvarna, the festival events include traditional Irish dance and music, speed dating, horse racing and culminates with the Mr. Lisdoonvarna and Queen of the Burren competitions to find the most eligible lady & gentleman of that year.
And if that won't help, here is how a Chinese Pensioner found love online at the age of 81