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Matchmaking Festival
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When:
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29 Aug - 5 Oct 2008; Weekends only (annual)
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Where:
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Lisdoonvarna
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Unlucky in love? Let an experienced matchmaker pick you a partner at the Matchmaking Festival in Lisdoonvarna, continuing a tradition that is more than 100 years old.
The spirit of the festival is all about music and during the entire month of September (and for quite a few days beyond) the town resonates with it. There are ceilidh and traditional Irish and country and western bands playing everywhere - in the town's pubs, clubs, bars and theatre spaces. Bar licensing extensions ensure that the music continues into the wee small hours of the morning.
Just by going to this town you join a grand tradition of rich landowners who went to take the sulphurous waters for their health. There is still a well in the town centre and at noon on festival days that's where the music begins for the first dance of the day, followed by a refreshing glass of spa water. There are also events at the weekend, including horse racing at the nearby fishing village of Doonlin or the International Barbecue Championship.
Back to the matchmaking. According to some, it seems that this tradition arose out of the need to find transient farm labourers suitable brides before they ran off with the farmers' daughters! But others believe the truth to be more mundane, in that 100 years ago young people had no place to meet and get acquainted, so third parties had to step in to do it for them. Whatever the real source of the tradition, it continues today, although more in a spirit of fun than anything else. But if you "want to get on the right track" as the saying goes, there are two resident matchmakers who make appointments with single clients and then make discreet introductions. The rest is up to you.
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