It’s never too late to find love in Ireland - Scotland on Sunday Travel
You’re never too old to find love, assures Ireland’s last traditional matchmaker, with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.
Sipping a cup of tea in his kitchen in one of the most beautiful corners of the Emerald Isle, which has inspired poems by the likes of W B Yeats and Seamus Heaney, 80-year-old Willie Daly flicks through letters from people of all ages across the world looking for their perfect match.
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Hide AdI’m learning that a strong sense of romance endures across Ireland – from the relics of St Valentine treasured in a church in capital Dublin, to an etching of doomed lovers Tristan and Isolde at City Hall, a popular annual matchmaking festival, and the most famous piece of jewellery from the island, the hands-clasped heart Claddagh ring.
Curious to see the island in a new light, I travel to Co Clare, to find out what Willie’s secret is, arriving at a goat farm on the outskirts of Lisdoonvarna where Willie explains how he followed his father and grandfather into matchmaking. He shows me his 150-year-old book of love, a bulging tome full of pieces of paper pertaining to both those seeking a partner, and those Willie has matched.
“Touch it with both hands, close your eyes for eight seconds and think of love, and you will be in love and married within six months,” he tells me.
I press my hands against the smooth leather cover, thinking, “Well, why not?”
Wild Atlantic Way
From Willie’s house, it’s a short drive to the world-renowned Cliffs of Moher. They jut out dramatically, battered by enormous waves from the Atlantic, sending mists of spray into the air, with the Aran Islands in the distance.
I’m walking in the footsteps of literary greats, travelling up the coastline from Co Clare to Co Galway and enjoy the stillness of Flaggy Shore, which inspired Heaney. Local poet and guide James Walsh has a clear passion for the area, reading out excerpts from poems at these beautiful locations.
As a life-long Yeats fan, a visit to Lady Gregory’s former Coole Park estate is special as it was here Yeats wrote the Wild Swans At Coole and left his mark on what is known as the autograph tree.
The original Claddagh ring
In Galway city, I make my way to Thomas Dillon Claddagh Gold, a jewellery shop on Quay Street, dating back to 1750, and a treasure trove of Claddagh inspired jewellery. Proprietor Jonathan Margetts tells me the meaning of the ring – the hands for friendship, the heart is for love and the crown for loyalty between two people.
Dublin’s softer side
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Hide AdAcross the country in the capital Dublin, references to romance are everywhere.
My guide Dave Wright of Pat Liddy’s walking tours (walkingtours.ie), shows me around historic St Patrick’s Cathedral, where former dean and novelist Jonathan Swift is buried beside his lover Stella, the romantic Ha’penny Bridge spanning the River Liffey, and Love Lane with its brightly painted tiles bearing quotes about love.
But I’m most intrigued to learn about the relics of St Valentine, brought to Dublin in the 1800s, and kept at Whitefriar Street Church in an ornate box with a statue of the saint in an inlet above bearing the sign “St Valentine hear my prayer”. I can almost hear the echo of years of whispered prayers to the statue of the saint.
Literary giants
The Museum of Literature Ireland on St Stephen’s Green is dedicated to some of Ireland’s greatest story tellers and I learn about Peig Sayers, who preserved stories from the great oral storytelling tradition and there is a particular focus on James Joyce, including copies of his books translated into languages from across the world.
The museum tour ends at a table covered in notepads for those inspired to jot their ideas for a book and I smile as I think perhaps in six months I’ll have a romance to write – if Willie’s magic book of love works its spell.
For more information, visit tourismireland.com