Lisdoonvarna is a spa town of 800 people in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland.
Famous for its music and festivals, in September each year one of Europe’s largest matchmaking events is held in the town attracting upward of 40,000 romantic hopefuls, bachelor farmers and accompanying revellers. The month-long event is an important tourist attraction. The current matchmaker is Willie Daly, a fourth generation matchmaker.
A no-longer continued music festival which took place near the town is celebrated in a song of the same name written by the Irish folk singer, Christy Moore. This festival took place until the early 1980s.
The town takes its name from the Irish Lios Dúin Bhearna meaning the “lios dúin”, or enclosured fort, of the gap (“bhearna”). It is believed that the fort referred to in this name is the green earthen fort of Lissateeaun, which lies 1½ miles to the north-east of the town, near the remains of a Norman-era castle.
