Woman Who Found Love at Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival Returns With Other Singles

Mary Timby is a 39-year-old communications consultant from Colorado. She travelled to Ireland in September 2025 after becoming tired of dating apps. At the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, she met Irishman Jason Mangan. They are still together one year later. Their story attracted a large following online. Mary began receiving messages from singles who wanted to visit the festival as well but did not want to travel alone. Festival organisers also asked her to become an ambassador.

Timby has now partnered with Met Through Friends, a company that organises real-life meetups and events for singles. Together, they are arranging group trips to Lisdoonvarna. The first group of eight singles will travel to Ireland later this month.

The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival has been running for around 170 years. It began as a meeting place for single farmers. Today, it is a month-long event that can attract up to 80,000 visitors.

Source: BBC