The annual Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The festival, which is held throughout the month of September, draws large crowds to the North Clare town each year, with the cancellation being described as a "devastating blow for local businesses".
A statement from festival organiser Marcus White said the cancellation of the event will spell a loss of "over €5 million to the local economy when both years are taken into consideration".
"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," Mr White said.
"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.
"We also have a duty of care to protect the health and safety of the local community, staff, artists and visitors, so we will not be taking any risks," the statement said.
Mr White added, that while other festivals may opt to reschedule for later in the year, such a move is not an option for the Matchmaking Festival.
"September has always been the month the festival has taken place, since it began over 160 years ago.
"Traditionally it’s the time when farmers celebrate the end of the harvest and converge in the village looking for love and a bit of craic."
"It is this sense of heritage and history that makes Lisdoonvarna so unique and endears it to so many people from all over the world," Mr White said.
