The spa town of Lisdoonvarna is famed for the sulphur waters and helping people find romance.
Traditionally, farmers head to Lisdoonvarna in County Clare after the harvest to seek the curative properties of the local spa water. Other people arrive for the craic, and perhaps to meet the person of their dreams. Among the strange mating rituals in the wild west of Clare are the awarding of the titles Mr Lisdoonvarna and the crowning of the Queen of the Burren, wheelbarrow racing, drinking and dancing.
The prosperity of Lisdoonvara derives from a character known as the tangler, who made the sales at the livestock markets. From his travels around the country, the tangler got to know the farmers with single sons and daughters. The tangler would invite specific people to Lisdoonvarna on the pretext of taking in the sulphur manganese waters of the spa.
But in fact they were really making a match.
Lisdoonvarna hotelier Jim White explains that the landowners of Ireland have been bringing their sons and daughters to the area for the past 150 years. The appeal of Lisdoonvarna spans all age groups. Young people come to find a partner, older people want to cure their aches and pains in the waters.
American Courtney Phelan attended the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival as a joke, but at the same time, she hoped something would come of it. As she was filling out the matchmaking application, Courtney Phelan was told there was a perfect match for her alreay. As soon as Courtney Phelan set eyes on John McNamara she knew at that she wanted to marry him.
I respect him more than any human being I have ever met in my life.
When asked about the future for their relationship, a reserved John McNamara replies,
Well hopefully good I would like to think.
Courtney Phelan is planning to move to a thatched cottage in Ireland so that she can be near John McNamara. The Irish man is taking the change in circumstances in his stride,
This is, you know, the grand finale of Lisdoonvarna.
This episode of 'Davis at Large' was broadcast on 17 November 1985. The reporter is Derek Davis.
'Davis at Large' was a chat show and variety programme with music, guests and filmed reports. It ran between 1984 and 1986. This footage shown here was shot in Lisddonvarna between 2-6 October 1985.
