The leading Irish American Matchmaker Maureen Tara Nelson has visited Lisdoonvarna to meet and honour the world-famous Irish Matchmaker Willie Daly.
Maureen Tara Nelson is president and founder of MTN Matchmaking, the company she formed 21 years ago to provide New Yorkers with the same traditional Irish Matchmaking services that have existed in Ireland for centuries. This year marked the first Matchmaking Festival in Lisdoonvarna since 2019, with thousands of people in the village for the month-long event.
At a press briefing at the Matchmaker bar, Maureen honoured Willie Daly with a presentation from the US government in recognition of his matchmaking services. These will be added to the collection at the Matchmaker Museum and Matchmaker Bar. After the event, Maureen visited Willie at his farm and Matchmaking museum to learn more about the history of matchmaking in Ireland. Later she visited Knock, Co. Mayo where her family emigrated from and where some of her relatives currently live.
“Meeting Willie Daly has been a dream of mine for my entire professional life of over 21 years as a Matchmaker myself. I’ve been wanting to visit for several years but with Covid and other factors and it has been fantastic to finally meet him,” Maureen.
Willie Daly presented Maureen with a copy of his book, ‘ The Last Matchmaker’, along with a few other gifts.
He said “I am so delighted to receive this honour from the US government, I have been Matchmaking for over 50 years and to have this recognition for my work now is so gratifying. ”
At over 160 years old, the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival is one of Ireland’s longest running festivals attracting people from all over the world. The tradition of Matchmaking started at the historic Spa wells, where the gentry came to take the therapeutic sulphur waters. As time progressed dancing and Matchmaking ensued, with Willie Daly now the third generation of his family to have this role.
Maureen Tara Nelson is a proud Irish-American and has relatives living in Mayo. For over 21 years, Maureen Tara Nelson has been considered “New York’s Irish-American Matchmaker” with over 3,000 clients and thousands of success stories during her career.
An international legend and last of the traditional Irish Matchmakers, Willie Daly has been helping Irish men and women using centuries-old methods and customs for over 50 years. It is estimated that he has made 3,000 matches in his 50 years as a Matchmaker.
For further information about Maureen Tara Nelson and MTN Matchmaking click here.
