When plans go out the window, sometimes you find a donkey farm (and the best memories) along the way.

Sometimes, the best travel memories come from those unexpected detours that make you say, Wait, did that sign really say ‘Match-Making Donkey Farm’? Yep, you read that right. During a recent trip to Ireland, I stumbled upon a donkey farm dedicated to matchmaking, and I just couldn’t resist seeing it for myself.

One bright morning, I spotted the sign outside of Lahinch after a little shopping trip. With no tee times or pressing destinations, the day was wide open, the sky brilliantly blue, and everything as lush and green as only Ireland can be. Against this backdrop, the white signs with red and blue writing stood out like a beacon—at least to me, lol—and I asked Nate if we could follow this proverbial yellow brick road.

The signs, however, were few and far between. As we drove on, I wondered, where the heck is this place? And did we miss a turn? When I was about to give up, another bright arrow sign would say we were still on track. After about 15–20 minutes of driving and some slight disappointment at the possibility of missing the matchmaking donkeys, I told Nate we should just move on; it was a fun idea, but we had places to be. We switched the GPS back to our original route and continued on.

The next stop was, wait for it, a castle. There is a never-ending supply of them to see, and each one makes you wonder what life it once lived. We snapped a few pics, checked the mental “been there” box, and moved on. Ireland has countless beautiful spots, and sometimes, the best ones are the unexpected finds rather than the “must-sees.” Still, I occasionally try those known sights every now and then.

We punched in our next stop and headed off—only to see another donkey farm sign about 10 minutes down the road. This was the sign, I thought. We’re going to see those donkeys! And again, we followed the wood-painted red and blue signs toward the mysterious matchmaking donkey farm.

I had no idea what to expect, but I was beyond excited. This was not in any tourist handbook! We pulled up to what looked like someone’s private home, with a couple of donkeys in the front and a few more in the back, plus a barn or garage turned into a makeshift museum. Out front, some signs directed us where to go, like a quirky carnival or funhouse.

We walked up to the open front door of the house, and an elderly man—who looked like a lifelong farmer—greeted us. I asked if they were “open,” in the loosest sense of the word, and how much it would cost to see the donkeys. Five euros each. Luckily, I had one last €10 note and handed it over, asking him to lead us to the donkeys (which, looking back, sounds hilarious).

He pointed us toward the museum first. It was packed with donkey memorabilia—carriages, old tack, posters. Then, he warned us not to touch, pet, or feed the donkeys…because they bite! This just kept getting better.

We walked through the museum and finally reached the backyard, where the donkeys awaited.

They were as adorable as I’d hoped. Some were just rolling around in the dirt, and I think one of them was named Brad Pitt (yes, really). I took tons of photos, and as I did, one donkey seemed to take a particular liking to me—let’s just say he was very, ahem, excited to see me. I’ve never been so grateful for an electric fence!

After getting my fill of donkey pics (yes, giggle giggle), I was finally ready to head out. As we walked down the drive to the car, Nate laughed under his breath about how easy I am to please. “I’m Glad we came all the way to Ireland so you could photograph rocks, cows, and donkeys,” he said. (The rocks and cows are stories for another day!)

So, here’s my advice: go for it whenever you can veer off the path and find your own “Match-Making Donkey Farm.” It might just be the highlight of your day. 

… and I never did find out the significance of the “match matching” …. a mystery for another day. Hee-haw!