For the second year in a row, the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival has been cancelled.
Organisers of the world renowned festival confirmed on Monday that it would not be proceeding this September.
Tens of thousands of visitors flock to North Clare from all across Ireland and sections of the globe for the Matchmaking Festival which was due to take place across the month of September and began over 160 years ago.
Cancelling the Festival for two years on the trot will lead to a €5m loss to the local economy, organisers have stated while adding that rescheduling till later in the year was not an option.
Festival organiser, Marcus White in a statement outlined, “As the Government have advised that there should be no large-scale indoor events until the whole population has been vaccinated, this year’s Lisdoonvarna Festival has regrettably been cancelled. Many people, especially younger ones, will not be fully vaccinated before the end of September”.
He added, “All our events are staged inside including the country music marquee which can accommodate up to 2,000 people which is not permissible under current guidelines. We would not be able to manage the very large crowds that normally throng our small town for a month”. He was confident its return in 2022 would be “bigger and better than ever”.
Some business owners in Lisdoonvarna have expressed an interest in running socially distanced events, White said “which was their prerogative”. “We owe it to our customers and our performers; Nathan Carter, Derek Ryan, Mike Denver and Cliona Hagan, DJ’s and bands to provide clarity now that this year’s event would not go ahead. To be honest everyone has been very patient, as they understand that this is not a decision we have taken lightly”.
Julie Carr, Press officer for the Festival added that international interest in the festival had been at an all-time high this year, following the release of the new Hallmark Film ‘As luck would have it’. The film which was based loosely on the festival has resulted in thousands of people from the US and Canada wanting to attend.
