Friday, August 18, 2023
Today we visited Lisdoonvarna, the Matchmaking capital of the world--how appropriate on our 28th wedding anniversary! Lisdoonvarna, a small town of 1,000 people is known for its huge matchmaking festival each year which draws 30,000 people per year. (Luckily we've already found our match!)
We travelled to Doolen, another small town on the coast, with beautiful views and good shopping! We drove up to hangman's hill, where we could see the Doonagore Castle. It is an impressive 16th century structure that sits on the shore, guarding the coastline. The castle has a dark background...in 1588 a ship from the Spanish Armada got into difficulty and crashed close to the castle. 170 of the ship's crew managed to make their way out of the wreck and to the castle. The sherriff arrived and it is believed that all of the survivors were hung at the castle, thus the location was named!
We also explored the cathedral in Kilfenora, a structure from the 12th century. There is an old cemetery, and impressive high crosses throughout the area. It's amazing to see things as old as this, still surviving!
We returned to Lisdoonvarna for the wedding welcome party. It was held at the Roadside Tavern, a place that has been owned by the same family for over a century.
It was a wonderful get-together, and a great opportunity for the wedding guests to get acquainted. The food was spectacular--a spread of smoked salmon (their specialty), shrimp, fish and chips, and chicken.
Rosalie and Gabe were glowing---Another perfect match in Lisdoonvarna!
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