Lovelorn Galway women flocking to Knock – but not in pursuit of farmers

Galway women aged between 30 and 40 are heading in their droves to Knock in the hope of finding true love – but, lovelorn though they may be, they have no interest in hooking a farmer!

Hundreds of women from across the county are using the famous Knock Marriage Introductions Service on an annual basis – and with some success. Because last year yielded eleven marriages and at the moment there are six more weddings planned for the remainder of this year.

“We have a shortage of men,” admitted Fr. Joe Cooney of Knock Marriage Introductions who has played cupid to hundreds of couples over the years.

Since it was established in 1968 some 911 couples have walked up the aisle. Since the beginning of this year there have been 121 applications from men and women to find suitable partners.

Of the new applications that have been made to the Knock Marriage Introduction Service, men from Galway and Mayo are in the majority with most of those coming from farming backgrounds.

But it seems the younger professional women are not too enthusiastic about being hitched to farmers while the introductions agency are also very short on women who work in ‘ordinary jobs’ like supermarket employees or those in the catering and hospitality industry.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.