How a Spur-of-the-Moment Trip Led to Love and a New Business Venture

Mary Timby, 39, from Colorado, has become an unlikely sensation in Ireland after booking a last-minute trip to the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival. The festival, which takes place every September, is a month-long celebration of conversation and dancing that has been a staple of Irish culture for 170 years.

Timby's inaugural Ireland trip seemed to take on a life of its own when she filmed a short video on the plane before her flight took off. Telling her approximately 300 TikTok followers that she was heading on an off-the-cuff trip to the festival.

She then "turned my phone on airplane mode, then spent about eight hours on the flight (and) woke up at Shannon Airport," she says.

"It was very serendipitous" - Mary and Jason on finding love in Ireland. Timby met her Irish beau, Jason Mangan, 38, from Ennis, County Clare, at The Matchmaker Bar in the centre of town.

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"I went over and introduced myself, and. conversation just flowed," says Mangan, about their first meeting. "Unfortunately, I didn't have much time on my hands, because I was turning back to Ennis," he adds.

The couple's initial interaction was brief, lasting only a few minutes, but it sparked a whirlwind romance. Timby and Mangan kept their relationship private for several months before sharing a photo of each other on social media.

Which sent their followers into overdrive.

Timby's newfound fame has led to her partnering with Met Through Friends. A company that organizes real-life meetups for people looking for love. The company released an interest form for a trip, expecting 80 to 100 responses, but received over 560.

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The first group of eight will make the trip later this month, with Timby's Irish boyfriend consulting on the itinerary. You can go on all these apps, swipe left, swipe right, but it'It's not actually going out and making a connection with someone and experiencing a small little town in Ireland, experiencing the culture, says Mangan.