Ireland offers music, merriment and more to curious visitors

ENNISTYMON, IRELAND – He looks the part of a farmer from County Clare, and he does indeed live on a hilltop acreage where the donkeys come running when he flashes the feed bucket.

But Willie Daly is primarily a matchmaker, as were his fathers before him, and it’s an art that’s not as lost as one might imagine.

Daly works much of his magic in September, when the monthlong matchmaking festival takes over the nearby town of Lisdoonvarna. As many as 20,000 of the unmatched from across the world show up every year for the festival, which is characterized by drinking, dancing, and a general good time known in Ireland as craic. Many go home without a fiancé but seldom with a sense of failure, Daly says, what with all that craic spilling out into the streets.

And there’s always next year.

The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, which began its life as a castle, provides lodging for matchmaking festivalgoers and also welcomes clan reunions, bridge tournaments and tourists seeking the stunning landscapes of the west coast of Ireland.

But just as importantly, the 140-room hotel and spa belongs to the townspeople.

“I feel passionately that The Falls Hotel is the lifeblood of Ennistymon,” says Sandra McCormack, owner of the Off the Rails fashion shop.

The McCarthy family, she says, “has created a beautiful place where both locals and visitors can enjoy a nice walk, have a coffee, dine, dance, the whole works.”

If you’re a traveler looking to rub shoulders with the kind of easygoing folk your ancestors descended from (and let’s face it, if you are visiting Ireland, you probably are Irish), you will find them at the hotel.

As you walk into the Cascade Restaurant with its panoramic view of the Inagh River, perhaps wearing the nicest thing your suitcase could yield, you will likely notice people dressed just a bit better. Those are the locals, ready for an evening of dining and yes, dancing. Most nights, there is live music, with bands offering everything from Irish classics to British pop to American country.

Nancy Sherwood, who lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, is among the Marrinan descendants who call the Falls Hotel home during their clan reunion once every four years. She learned about the gatherings while researching her roots online.

Sherwood’s grandfather was 12 when he and three of his siblings emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1896, leaving behind their parents and their sister Catherine, who eventually inherited the farm where he was born. Last August, in the waning days of her second trip to County Clare, she met the right people who knew the right people, leading her to several descendants of great-aunt Catherine’s 15 children. And they were still living on the property.

“The first time I went to Ireland, I took a photo of that hillside farm, never imagining that was where my grandfather lived,” she said.

Cousins were everywhere when she arrived for afternoon tea. Gifts and family stories were bestowed. A rock from the farm’s iconic stone fence now rests on her grandfather’s grave. A St. Bridget’s Cross she admired was promptly taken down from the wall. Especially precious was a baby food jar containing a burn salve used to nurse an ancestor back to health after he fell into a fire as a child. Her cousin John Curtin still makes the salve, and the family recipe is known only to him.

Andrea Aven, an Edmond genealogist and historian, says about 10 percent of Americans claim Irish ancestry.

“The Irish diaspora is the largest in America, because of all the immigrants who came and sought a better way of life,” Aven said.

The compulsion Irish-Americans feel to learn their family histories is “almost kind of an homage to our ancestors, to say thank-you,” Aven said.

“They gave up a lot for us. They came from poor backgrounds, with limited education.”

Her second great-grandparents came to the United States in 1850, having survived the potato famine, and Aven has twice walked where they walked. A parish priest helped her find family cemeteries.

“I’m so grateful I was able to see where they lived, and the house where they lived,” Aven said. “I found distant cousins there. It was awesome.”

But genealogy is not the only pull, Aven said, because Ireland “is just a charming, charming country.” Pubs are of course part of that charm. They tend to be family businesses. Most are beautifully appointed and sparkling clean. The music typically starts at 9:30 p.m.

Sherwood and her traveling companion were ushered to prime seating when they showed up for a Monday jam session at the Marrinan Bar, owned, of course, by people in her family tree. About a dozen musicians sauntered in carrying fiddles, squeezeboxes, tin whistles, a guitar, a banjo and various percussion instruments. Surrounding the front tables, they took turns leading off traditional jigs and reels.

After a few instrumental numbers, Sherwood’s cousin Micheal Marrinan rose to sing some of his original songs, including the crowd-favorite “Sweet Ennistymon.”

“I am vested in this town and these people,” Sherwood said. “I’m considering applying for dual citizenship.”

With grandchildren to dote over, a move to Ireland is not likely, though Sherwood says with a laugh she would happily sleep in the barn if invited to live on the ancestral farm. Ennistymon is in the heart of the Wild Atlantic Way, a coastal route that showcases the ocean and its bays, the Aran Islands, stunning countryside and welcoming villages. With a population of about 1,200, the town offers inviting home-owned restaurants, shops and galleries. It’s a good jumping-off point for visits to Doolin, a seaside village known for its traditional music; Lahinch with its popular golf club and stunning beach; and the moon-like Burren Geopark. Also nearby are the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction.

Before you leave Ennistymon, check with the front desk or a ride-share company about visiting Willie Daly’s farm. If you catch him at home, he will invite you in for a “cuppa tae,” show you his leather-bound matchmaking journal and strum the guitar as he sings for you an Irish ballad. Or maybe an Elvis Presley song.

Farther north up the coast, the full-service Salthill Hotel capitalizes on the beautiful Galway Bay and its Salthill Promenade, upon which a once-daily stroll is really not enough. Galway is the midpoint of the Wild Atlantic Way and a bustling town that started as the fishing village of Claddagh. Numerous shops offer the famous Claddagh ring.

Bus tours offer narrated trips to such favorites as the mountainous Connemara region, Kylemore Abbey and the village of Cong, a bucket-list trip for fans of “The Quiet Man” the 1952 film starring John Wayne and Dublin-born Maureen O’Hara.

If you go to Ireland

• How to get around: If you are brave enough to drive on the “wrong” side of the road, a rental car is handy for zipping from one Irish village to the next. We chose a combination of trains, cab and ride share companies and a guided bus tour. We enjoyed having our questions answered by the taxi drivers, who typically are lifelong residents.

• Money: You will want to have a few dollars and Euros in your pocket, but credit cards are accepted everywhere.

• Tipping: Tips are not expected, but not refused if you feel compelled.

• Souvenirs: Handmade knitwear from the Aran islands is everywhere. Donegal tweed, commonly used to make the Irish wool flat cap, is another tempting souvenir. Gift shops offer silver jewelry designed around shamrocks, the Celtic trinity knot or Claddagh symbols, and of course Waterford crystal.

• What to eat: If bringing food home in your suitcase doesn’t seem like a good idea, indulge yourself while you can. A warm scone topped with Irish-made butter and raspberry preserves is food for the gods.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ennistymon, Ireland, is host to good food, friends and family