Ireland is a land of character and characters steeped in history, brimming with culture and home to people whose warmth is second to none - now is the time to make your Ireland dream come true.

Willie Daly - Traditional and Intuitive Matchmakers

Willie and daughter Marie Daly provide you with the ideal location, atmosphere and disposition to fall in love. We will keep a watchful but non intrusive eye on you and all our guests. The traditional tools of matchmaking are intuition, subtly, gentle nudges, a little encouragement, the right atmosphere and insightful knowledge of human nature. Willie and Marie possess all these characteristics and employ them in full. Willie has successfully matched a multitude of people over successive generations.

The Matchmaking Festival takes place every year during September and October in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, Ireland. The Matchmakers of old were the dealers who attended street fairs, as it was they who know the farmers who had eligible sons and daughters around the country. They invited the farmers from all over Ireland to attend the Festival the following September, and it was they who collected the generous dowries when the matches were made. Today there are just two matchmakers left in County Clare, Mr. Willie Daly (Horse Dealer) who runs the riding centre outside Ennistymon and Mr. James White, hotelier, and proprietor of the Imperial Hotel, Lisdoonvarna.

Noel McNeel - Head Chef of the Lough Erne Golf Resort

'EVERYTHING I DO REVOLVES AROUND TASTES AND SENSES....'

Lough Neagh born Noel McMeel, Executive Chef at Lough Erne Golf Resort brings a wealth of experience with him to the resort in the Fermanagh Lakelands.

Closer to home, Noel is a contributor to RTE's Afternoon Show. The top chef regularly contributes recipes and editorials to leading magazines and publications, including Bon Appétit, America's food and Entertainment Guide, as well as Food & Wine and Northern Woman.

Now firmly established at Lough Erne Golf Resort, Noel has introduced his own particular brand of modern Irish cooking to a new and discerning audience. Noel McMeel comes to Lough Erne Golf Resort with a simple philosophy: sourcing, preparing and serving fresh food in season. Noel's passion for food and his vibrant personality shine through in all he achieves, from finding the best local suppliers to inspiring his team of carefully selected chefs.

Gerard Reidy - Culinary Artist of Delphi Mountain Resort

Originally from Co. Kerry Gerard started his training in Ireland up to the age of 19. He furthered his training and skill set in the UK and South Africa and headed up some of South Africa's finest and exclusive eateries including Blues and Five Flies. Gerard has received numerous accolades and awards for his sumptuous food creations. In 2006 Gerard retuned to his homeland and worked in the G Hotel in Galway.

Gerard has an enormous love and desire to work with natural, local produce from a sustainable supply chain. The focus of Gerard's food creations is on nature, the healing qualities of food, people's well being, restoration and vitality.

Gerard joined the team at Delphi in 2008 to focus on building a very special gastronomic experience through simple, locally sourced, wholesome, scrumptious, nourishing food.

Bairbre McCarthy - An Irish Storyteller

Bairbre grew up in a large family in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland. In 1980, she came to the United States for a summer visit, fell in love, and stayed! She has been happily married to Hank Willems since 1981 and they are the proud parents of Mary and Patrick, who sometimes join their mother in performing. Mary is a fine singer and Irish dancer and Patrick is an accomplished bodhran player.

In 1998, Mercier Press published Bairbre's book, "Irish Leprechaun Stories." 1n 2001, Albatros Publishing House, in Prague in the Czech Republic, published a Czech translation of this book with beautiful illustrations. Czech radio broadcast readings of these stories and organized a children's art contest, inspired by the readings.

Brian O'Donovan - From Farmhouse to Manor House

Brian O'Donovan's multi-faceted career to date conjures up two very different images. One is the ferociously competitive world of professional sports; another, the fast paced world of large scale entertainment productions, and yet another, the educational and cultural milieu of public broadcasting.

Born in the small seaside town of Clonakilty in West Cork in 1957, O'Donovan grew up in a family of nine children that was fairly standard for the Ireland of its time. The second youngest,, his father was a butcher and his mother a full time homemaker.

A Celtic Sojourn is a program he has produced and hosted for the past 20 years. It explores traditional and contemporary music from the Celtic Countries and England, and has grown to its current three hour slot on Saturday afternoons and internationally on the web. Over the past few years, it has become one of the most popular programs in the station. O'Donovan and WGBH have produced four of an ongoing series of Christmas CDs and have created a hit live theatre show which is staged each December.

With WGBH, Brian also leads a yearly "Learning Tour" to Ireland with a particular focus on traditional music. He has narrated two PBS documentaries, and was the associate producer of a third on the subject of Northern Ireland's peace process.

Click here to access our Book an Interview section which will display a comprehensive list of Irelands "characters". If you would like to schedule an interview with any of our "characters" you may do so by contacting: Lisa Kearns - Tourism Ireland - 212-418-0822 or alternatively lkearns@tourismireland.com.