American finds love at Irish matchmaking festival, now helps others follow suit

Mary Timby, 39, from Colorado, booked a last-minute trip to Ireland last September after growing tired of dating apps, recalling a comedy series reference to a matchmaking festival in Lisdoonvarna. She discovered the festival was real and ran throughout the entire month she planned to visit.

Before her flight, she recorded a video for her roughly 300 TikTok followers describing the impulsive trip. By the time she landed at Shannon Airport, the video had gone viral. After a quiet first night in Lisdoonvarna, her Airbnb host encouraged her to go out again the following evening, when she met 38-year-old Jason Mangan from Ennis, County Clare, at a bar called The Matchmaker.

Their first meeting was brief, as Mangan was driving friends home that night, but he later found Timby on Instagram and invited her out. What followed was a string of dates — lunches, dinners and sightseeing — which Timby documented for her growing following without revealing her new partner's identity.

After she returned home, the couple maintained a long-distance relationship. Mangan visited Colorado for Thanksgiving, and Timby returned to Ireland at Christmas to meet his family. They publicly revealed their relationship on New Year's Eve, drawing wide attention from followers in both countries.

Lisdoonvarna locals subsequently approached Timby, a communications consultant, to become an ambassador for the festival. After receiving hundreds of messages from followers wanting a similar experience, she partnered with a company called Met Through Friends to organize a group trip. An interest form intended for around 100 responses instead drew 560. The first group of eight travelers will visit Lisdoonvarna later this month, with Mangan helping plan their itinerary.