What is the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival actually like for a visitor?
It runs for the whole of September in a small Clare spa town, and the centre of it is social rather than staged. There is music and dancing daily in the pubs and hotels, with the busiest crowds at weekends, and matchmaker Willie Daly holds court at the Matchmaker Bar, where people queue to talk to him and fill in their details. There is no single ticket for the town itself, though individual dances and concerts charge at the door. Plenty of visitors come with friends and no intention of being matched, and stay for the sessions. Book a bed well ahead, as the town is small, and plan your lift home before the evening starts.
Useful pages: Events in Ireland · Festivals and events guide · Irish sport · Irish festivals to experience
Sources
- Festival organisers: TradFest, Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, Electric Picnic, Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Galway International Arts Festival, Wexford Festival Opera and Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival official sites and programmes
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