This Over-165-year-old Matchmaking Festival Is Perfect for Singles Burned Out by Dating Apps

For most of the year, the quiet town of Lisdoonvarna, nestled along the rugged coastline of the Wild Atlantic Way in western Ireland, boasts just a few thousand residents. But each September, upwards of 60,000 visitors flock to the small town, all looking for the same thing: love.

The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, which runs for the whole month, brings singles not only from Ireland but from other countries far and wide, like the U.S., Germany, and Russia. They fill the streets with a vibrant energy, met by the town’s warm welcome of music, dancing, Irish hospitality, and perhaps the occasional Guinness. Ironically enough, this matchmaking festival founded in the 1850s offers something refreshingly new to people increasingly burned out by modern, high-tech dating. 

Lisdoonvarna is tiny; it takes all of two minutes to walk the entirety of its main street. But its size is one of its charms, and one of the reasons why the festival has been running successfully for almost two centuries. It gathers everyone together along one street for live music and dancing, creating an icebreaker for the often-daunting prospect of meeting someone. The key pubs—The Matchmaker Bar, The Ritz, and The Roadside Tavern—are just steps from each other, so rubbing shoulders with other singles is inevitable. 

At the center of this lively mix is local legend Willie Daly, a third-generation, 82-year-old matchmaker, who runs a pony and donkey farm when he’s not introducing singles to each other. For Daly, the festival is a unique chance for people seeking love. “The opportunity is there, you see,” he says. “It’s a big opportunity for people to meet people.”

As opposed to dating apps, the festival thrives on in-person contact. The music, dancing, and even the drinks all help with this. “The first dance is the first chance,” says Daly. “The first chance to find love, to be in love, and to be loved for the rest of your life.” Daly shares that proposals are not entirely uncommon during the festival, in some instances between people who have known each other only a few days. He credits this to love at first sight. For those who feel discouraged, Daly offers comfort. “Love is not out of anyone’s reach,” he says. 

The 30-day festival originally kicked off in September because of farmers’ schedules. September was when the harvest ended, and rural farmers could finally leave their homes to find a wife. While harvests play less of a role today, the magic of the person-to-person interactions remains. In a world where people have grown increasingly accustomed to finding love by swiping right or left, this little Irish town and its festival offer something different. It invites serendipity while people mingle over drinks and hit the dance floor to traditional Irish music. Phones are merely a tool to take down someone’s number.  

While many turn to Daly’s charming expertise for help, others bravely dive in by themselves. Mary, from the U.S., explains that simply sitting down at a pub will almost guarantee a meet-cute with a fellow festivalgoer. That’s what happened to her when she popped by The Matchmaker Bar and met an eligible young Irish man. They’re now enjoying and exploring a budding, long-distance relationship. Mary’s advice: “Don’t go to the festival expecting anything. If you meet someone, great. If not, you still had an unforgettable Irish adventure.”

Indeed, the location itself is part of the magic. “It’s a very romantic landscape,” says Daly, noting there are more than 73 different species of flowers. The rock formations of the Burren in County Clare create a barren but breathtaking landscape that stretches out to the sea.

Two of the best places to visit in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands, are nearby as well, both easily within reach of Lisdoonvarna. The beauty of the location, complete with ancient castles and misty seashores, takes the pressure off of singles; if they don’t find a partner, at least the setting made the trip worthwhile. But Daly still insists romance is a real possibility in this special place. “It’s a very small town with a big impact,” he says. “It’s a town of love.”