Matchmaker ‘shocked’ as marriage rate drops 8%

FAMED Lisdoonvarna matchmaker Willie Daly yesterday expressed surprise that rural areas of Co Clare experienced a further drop in the number of marriages recorded last year.

Figures released by the Health Service Executive show overall marriage rate in Clare last year dropped by 8% from 349 to 321.

The latest figure points to an overall 26% drop since 2007 when 438 marriages were recorded. There was a 37% drop in marriages in Ennistymon from 27 to 17 while in the Kilrush area, they decreased by 44% from 45 to 25.