(6) The Matchmaker

The Matchmaker (1997)

Explore the film locations of The Matchmaker in Roundstone, Connemara.

The film is based on an intern sent to Ireland to discover Irish roots for her boss US Senator John McGrory to boost his Irish American vote. She arrives in the village of Ballinagra in the middle of the annual match-making festival where she becomes the target of two rival matchmakers. Along the way, she falls in love with a local journalist who is investigating her boss.

Starring: Janeane Garofalo and Milo O’ Shea

Directed by: Mark Joffe

Famous Association: As you stroll around the village, read the works of (author and cartographer) Tim Robinson on Connemara who lived here for some time or look at one of his hand-drawn maps of the area.

Quotation:

‘A comedy for the incurably unromantic’ – this was the film’s tagline.

Trivia:

‘Ballinagra is the fictional reworking of the name Baile Na Grá meaning town of love in Irish.

Set the scene:

The film location for The Matchmaker was mostly Roundstone but also included a scene on Inis Mór.  You can spot  the church, the pub, harbour and the streets in the scenes. O’Dowd’s Bar & Restaurant features as a funeral parlour for one scene. Marcy and Seán take a trip to Inis Mór, one of the Aran Islands. While there, they visit the dramatic cliffside fort of Dún Aonghasa—and share their first kiss.

Links – Other films using Roundstone as a location include MacIntosh Man starring Paul Newman, Marley & Me, Into the West, and the TV Series, North Sea Connection.