Travel: Moher, please! Fall in love on the Emerald Isle of Ireland

You’re never too old to find love, Ireland’s last traditional matchmaker assures me, with a twinkle in his eye.

Sipping a cup of tea in his kitchen in one of the most beautiful corners of the Emerald Isle, 80-year-old Willie Daly flicks through letters from people of all ages across the world looking for their perfect match.

I’m learning that a strong sense of romance endures across Ireland – from the relics of St Valentine treasured in a church in Dublin, to 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’ve travelled to County Clare to find out what Daly’s secret is.

The motorway from Dublin relents to country roads amid seas of green fields, as I travel west to a goat farm on the outskirts of Lisdoonvarna to meet the man himself.

I receive a warm welcome, as Willie explains how he followed his father and grandfather into matchmaking. He matched his first couple as a teenager, after a girl had caught a boy’s eye at church, making the introduction by going with the boy to see a pig the girl’s family were selling.

Apparently the boy and girl’s eyes met over the pig, and the pair were later wed.

Clearly a shrewd judge of character, Willie can match couples simply by spotting people he believes are suited, but these days the bulk of his matchmaking comes via letters sent by singletons in their 50s, 60s and 70s from across the world. 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. Well, why not?

Rebecca Black at the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare, Ireland.

From Willie’s house, it’s a short drive to the world renowned Cliffs of Moher. They jut out dramatically, battered by the Atlantic, sending mists of spray into the air.

With the sea on one side and the magnificent Burren on the other, I enjoy the stillness of Flaggy Shore.

In Galway city, I walk around an area where the original fishing community of the Claddagh once stood, before making my way to a jewellery shop.

Thomas Dillon Claddagh Gold dates back to 1750 and counts former US president John F Kennedy, Queen Victoria and Princess Grace of Monaco among its clients.

The low doorway on Quay Street opens into a treasure trove of trays of rings and other Claddagh inspired jewellery. Proprietor Jonathan Margetts tells me the meaning of the ring – the hands for friendship, the heart for love and the crown for loyalty.

Trays of rings come in different types of metal and some even embellished with diamonds and emeralds. Jonathan said they were originally wedding rings, but are now for all occasions.

Across the country in the capital Dublin, references to romance are everywhere. I’m most intrigued to learn about the relics of St Valentine. The saint’s story is both beautiful and heart-breaking, sentenced to death for marrying couples in secret in the Third Century in Rome, and the tale of his final letter to his blind daughter restoring her sight.

The relics were brought to Dublin in the 1800s as a show of support for the Catholic Church in Ireland during difficult days. Today they are kept at Whitefriar Street Church in an ornate box, and roped off with reverence. A statue of the saint stands in an inlet above.

From saints to scholars, the Museum of Literature on St Stephen’s Green is dedicated to some of the island’s greatest story tellers. Walking around the historic Newman House, I learn about Peig Sayers, who preserved the old stories from the great oral storytelling tradition on the Blasket Islands of Co. Kerry.

Bathing in literature, there is a particular focus on Dubliners author James Joyce.

The museum tour comes to an end with a table covered in notepads for those inspired by all those great authors to start jotting down their own ideas for a book.

I can’t help but smile as I think that perhaps in six months time I’ll have a new romance tale to write – if Daly’s magic book of love works its spell.

P.S.

Pat Liddy’s walking tours take in Dublin sights including St Patrick’s Cathedral, the romantic Ha’penny Bridge over the Liffey, and Lover’s Lane with its painted tiles bearing quotes about love.