Mary Timby, a 39-year-old communications consultant from Colorado, found romance with an Irishman named Jason Mangan after booking a spontaneous trip to the historic Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival in County Clare.
Fed up with local dating apps while navigating a career transition last summer, Mary Timby made an uncharacteristic, last-minute decision from her Colorado couch. Remembering a few throwaway lines from a television comedy series about an Irish matchmaking festival, she looked it up. The event was real, and it coincided precisely with the month-long holiday she had planned for September.
What started as a whim on a manual transmission car rental with the gear stick on the left side quickly turned into a viral social media phenomenon and a life-changing romance.
Inside the Historic Month-Long Festival at Lisdoonvarna
Timby initially imagined a line of single people waiting to be paired by a traditional local matchmaker. Instead, she discovered a vibrant, whole-town celebration of conversation and dancing spanning the entire month of September. The event traces its roots back 170 years, when bachelor farmers and moneyed visitors would flock to the spa town to bathe in mineral-rich waters and socialize. While Lisdoonvarna maintains a year-round population of fewer than 1,000 residents, that figure swells up to 80,000 each September as international revellers arrive.
During her travels, Timby even visited third-generation matchmaker Willie Daly at his nearby home. Daly still holds court at festival events and his residence, famously putting visitors on the phone with random local men. But the real turning point of Timby’s trip happened after a quiet first night left her tired and jet-lagged in her rented accommodation. Encouraged by her Airbnb host that younger crowds came alive after dark, Timby headed into town.
A Chance Meeting at The Matchmaker Bar
Timby spent her evening dancing and drinking pints at The Matchmaker Bar in the center of Lisdoonvarna. That was where she encountered Jason Mangan, a 38-year-old from Ennis, County Clare, who was acting as the designated driver for a group of friends. Mangan was well-acquainted with the festival, remembering his own grandparents making the journey decades earlier for the dancing.
Mangan had little time to linger because he needed to return to Ennis, located about 22 miles southeast of Lisdoonvarna. Their initial meeting was brief, but Mangan tracked down Timby on Instagram later and followed up with a direct message.
Timby accepted the invitation, sparking a whirlwind of lunches, dinners, and sightseeing dates. When she had to return home, tears at the airport marked the start of a challenging long-distance arrangement between Colorado and Ireland. They maintained daily communication across a seven-hour time difference while planning subsequent visits.
Viral Stardom and New Business Ventures in County Clare
The couple eventually revealed their romance on New Year’s Eve by sharing a photo online, generating massive excitement among followers ranging from local Colorado Gaelic sports clubs to businesses across Ireland. The viral attention caught the eye of Lisdoonvarna locals, who subsequently approached Timby about becoming an ambassador for the festival.
The couple now spends time together from a windswept coastal cottage they rented for the summer in County Clare, situated roughly 20 miles southwest of Lisdoonvarna. Beyond embracing their own romance, Timby has launched a new business venture centered around bringing other hopeful travelers to the famous Irish matchmaking destination.