There is no better person in the whole of Clare to help you find your match than Ireland's last traditional matchmaker Willie Daly. Willie has been matchmaking for over 50 years and is proud to say that he has matched over 3000 couples in his lifetime. Matchmaking is in his blood, and he is fortunate enough to have inherited the skills of his father and grandfather who also had the gift of making a perfect match.
See the famous ancient matchmaking book Willie Daly has owned for over 160 years that has been passed down through generations, and has special romantic powers. It is considered to be a lucky love book. If you touch it with one hand and close your eyes for seven seconds, envisaging love, you will likely fall in love within six months. If you touch it with both hands while closing your eyes for seven seconds, envisaging love, you will likely be married within six to nine months, or if you if you are already married - whether it has been five years or forty-five years - you will likely recreate the first two weeks of your honeymoon.
Depending on what you can afford to give, a session with Willie could cost anywhere from €5 up. Spend some time getting to know what you're looking for in a match over a cup of tea as Willie amuses you with stories of the life he has led and the stories of his farm.
If love is not what you're looking for, you should still take the time to travel out to the donkey farm and matchmaking museum that is on Willie Daly's land just outside of Ennistymon. During June, July, and August, the museum will be open and the donkey's will be out in the farm for tourists and locals alike to enjoy.
If you can't make it down during the summer months, make sure you catch Willie during the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival in September where he will be in his office in the Matchmaker Bar on the main street.
As you travel the Wild Atlantic Way, remember that according to Willie; "Some matches are made in Heaven ... but the best ones are made in Lisdoonvarna!"
