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Willie Daly with his 150-year-old "lucky book" that has been passed down to him from his father and grandfather. Matchmakerireland.com

Lisdoonvarna's answer to the love doctor set up 3,000 marriages... so far

Willie Daly says English men are mad for Irish women.

“WILL YOU MARRY me?” is the first question many men ask women they fancy at the annual Lisdoonvarna Festival in Co Clare. “And they mean it too,” says Willie Daly, one of Ireland’s last traditional matchmakers.

He told TheJournal.ie that “they weren’t mad”, it’s just men and women become much more open about their feelings at the festival. “If you like someone, you should just let them know.”

Since he started out as a matchmaker 45 years ago following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, the third generation matchmaker has set up around 3,000 marriages. Willie has also passed his skills onto his daughters Claire, Gráinne and Marie.

Willie carries around what he calls his “lucky book”, which is about 150-years-old. He explains, “If you touch the book you’ll be married and in love inside of six months. If you are already married, you will recreate the honeymoon period you first had”.

To become a matchmaker, there needs to be a “longing to do it and you need to have the gift. There’s also knack of knowing what people would suit each other.”

Lisdoonvarna

Willie will be in high-demand over the next month at the infamous Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, which began last night. Music and dance can start as early as 11.30am everyday and go on until all hours.

“It’s very social,” says Willie. “In the beginning it starts fairly slowly then it heightens up in the night. It’s a great opportunity for people to meet others.”

More men than women attend the festival. “Rural Ireland can be a lonely place. There’s a lot of lonely men, farmers left behind, while a lot women are based in the cities, so the festival is a great place for them to meet up”.

From Monday to Thursday the crowd is older and are aged between 40 right up to people in their 80s but from Friday to Sunday there’s a younger crowd of between 19 to 38.

Up to 40,000 people from around the world are set to descend on the small town in the west of Ireland to find love over the five weekends.

This year, Willie is expecting more English men than usual to come over to find love across the water following his appearance on the ITV travel show, ‘Jimmy Nesbitt’s Ireland’, earlier in the year.

“English men love Irish women. It’s because they are natural, voluptuous, are very good looking, have lovely eyes and are great fun,” he said.

Willie doesn’t mind that he’ll be busy for the festival. “People come up to me on the street and ask me to introduce them to this one and that one… I don’t mind though”.

“Love is waiting there for everyone, it’s there just waiting to be found,” he said. “When it is, it’s a lovely feeling.”

Willie’s Tips for Love:

  • “This thing about people needing to know someone… Love is an impulsive thing. If you don’t act on that impulse you won’t do it at all.”
  • “I believe in love at first sight and if there’s that magic in it then don’t be afraid.”
  • “If you see someone you like just say it. No point in looking back and wish you had done something. Don’t be afraid to tell him that they look beautiful or good looking and that you’d like to get to know more about them.”

If you need Willie Daly to help you find love, see here.

Read: The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival is going gay>

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    Mute Rebekah Corbett
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    Aug 14th 2013, 6:39 PM

    Suffering from that bug since early this morning and only now feel like I’m really not going to die. Feel very sorry for anyone already feeling poorly in hospital who gets it

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    Mute Warren Collier
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    Aug 14th 2013, 7:01 PM

    Get well soon. Nothing as worse!

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    Mute P O Leary
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    Aug 14th 2013, 7:09 PM

    I had it before once and wouldn’t wish it on anybody.
    I didnt know if I had to sit on the toilet or kneel at it.lost allmost a stone in a week. Couldnt even keep grapes down.
    Get well soon.

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    Mute Rkmr
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    Aug 14th 2013, 7:45 PM

    I got it while 7 months pregnant, not nice at all. Wonder why it’s causing such problems this time of year

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    Mute Right Wing Steve ©
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    Aug 14th 2013, 5:36 PM

    That’s just good advice for anything run by the HSE.

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    Mute Michele N. Moreira
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    Aug 14th 2013, 5:56 PM

    my friend’s mother makes $83/hour on the computer. She has been without a job for 5 months but last month her check was $21383 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this web site… w­w­w.C­a­n9­9.c­o­m

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    Mute Michael Gorman
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    Aug 14th 2013, 6:09 PM

    Well Kenny might walk in???

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    Mute Cuddle Flips
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    Aug 14th 2013, 8:24 PM

    As a rule, I never complain about people red thumbing comments, but if everyone who red thumbed comments like Michele’s clicked ‘Report this comment’ instead, spam would be a lot less prevalent on The Journal comment threads.

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    Mute Fagan fagan
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    Aug 14th 2013, 5:58 PM

    What about hospital staff
    Are they somehow immune ?

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    Mute Morticia
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    Aug 14th 2013, 5:34 PM

    First it was Egypt now Mayo, thats the weekend messed up.

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Aug 14th 2013, 6:03 PM

    They’ll have to call it the all-year-round vomiting bug now.
    That said I feel sorry for people who have it and those people who can’t make hopital visits or those who can’t receive them.

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    Mute Monkey Boy
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    Aug 14th 2013, 7:47 PM

    Stay away from mayo full stop !!

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    Mute Dublinjonny
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    Aug 14th 2013, 7:03 PM

    First warned away from Egypt now Mayo …… damit holiday plans ruined

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    Mute Luca Costa
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    Aug 14th 2013, 5:19 PM

    In summer? Global warming huh?

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    Mute Niall Donnelly
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    Aug 14th 2013, 9:34 PM

    The general should be stay away from Mayo. You might catch something off Enda and end up talking through your ar$e!!! It’s called FG syndrome!!!

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    Mute richardmccarthy
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    Aug 15th 2013, 12:37 AM

    Why is it just hospitals that get the winter vomiting bug,i have never ever met anyone that caught this bug at home,and im nearly70.

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    Aug 15th 2013, 7:11 AM

    Schools, hospitals, hostels, aircraft. Anywhere that groups of people spend time together.
    About 2 days to incubate, 2 days symptomatic, 2 days to clear the virus. Unfortunately people feel so wretched with it thy attend hospital, particularly if they vomit a little blood. The bug is spread by hand mouth and by aerosol and is horribly infectious. Hospital outbreaks make the news, but schools etc are fairly regularly closed by it.

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    Mute Barry McSweeney
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    Aug 14th 2013, 9:35 PM

    Someone should tell the HSE!

    “A Contingency Management group are now requesting that self-referral patients in the border areas of West Sligo and East Mayo – who would normally attend the Emergency Department Sligo -could consider attending Mayo General Hospital.”

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