Single and searching for love? Well, look no further. An Irish American matchmaker is just waiting to hear from you.

Maureen Tara Nelson is one of Long Island’s most flourishing matchmakers with over 700 successful matches under her belt, and adding to that number every day.

Nelson, a resident of Nassau County, combines traditional methods of arranging a marriage with the modern idea of dating several people until you meet the right one.

“I love what I do. I can’t describe what a great feeling it is matching people up. Every day I have a different success story,” she proudly tells the Irish Voice while taking a break from her matchmaking last week.

Nelson, who has been in the dating industry for more than seven years, prides herself with well over 700 successful relationships.

“I’m a perfectionist and get the job done,” she says.

According to Nelson, several people have lost faith in finding that right person. “I’m here to remind people to have no fear, that there is someone out there for everyone.”

Nelson’s first job in the dating industry was in a dating service. It was here she soon discovered what grave mistakes people were making while choosing a mate.

“Clients kept picking people for the chemistry, and although chemistry is important there needs to be a balance between chemistry and compatibility,” she says.

Nelson explains that both parties must have similar interests but also a deep respect for each other’s separate interests. She provides an example.

“Say the guy likes scuba diving but the woman doesn’t, and she doesn’t have to like it, but they go on vacation together. The woman then needs to be respectful of the man’s hobby and be happy for him to go off diving for two hours while she sits on the beach.”

After several months in the dating service Nelson was beginning to match people on her own and soon became a success story herself. It was at this point in her career that the matchmaker realized this was her calling.

“I knew I should be a matchmaker there and then,” she said.

While using a combination of experience, intuition and her clear calling as a matchmaker, Nelson matches people according to their similar backgrounds and interests.

The matchmaker, who has two children, Brendan and Ryan, feels it imperative for both of her clients to see the other before they meet. She shows each client a photo of the person she chooses for him or her.

If they feel some sort of attraction to the person in the picture then she puts the wheels in motion and gets them on the road of dating. “It’s important that they trust my match but I always show each person involved a picture of the other person. There must be a physical attraction too,” she says.

Nelson practices safety as a rule of thumb. With a thorough screening process and background check in all states, she can weed out the fakers from the makers.

Short of doing a lie detector test, Nelson has the best possible safety structure included in her service.

“As we all know verbal or physical abuse can be very prevalent in a relationship but I can spot this trait in a person very quickly. If that is the case then this person won’t become a client of mine.”

Nelson is also firmly against online dating. “It’s very dangerous, you don’t know what kind of person your communicating with. I would never recommend it.”

Nelson describes her service as serious and “down to the point.”

She focuses her matchmaking skills on professional people seeking a committed relationship or marriage. She won’t accept clients who just want to go out and date.

All of Nelson’s clients are at the point in their life where they are ready for a committed relationship or marriage. “I look for that vision as well as a nice decent quality person.”

Nelson’s matchmaking service is unique in that she herself meets each and every client face to face from beginning to end. “I’m very geared towards 100% customer service. My clients meet with me personally; they only speak to me directly on the phone, and can reach me any time. I match them up myself and I follow up with them personally.”

Nelson said in her experience other matchmaking or dating services use their assistants to match the couples, hence how she got her experience. “My matchmaking assistants work for me and I work for my clients.”

Nelson attributes some of her successes to her late Irish grandmother, Margaret O’Donnell who was born in Co. Mayo and immigrated to the U.S. in her youth.

“I get a lot of signs from my Irish grandmother and my mother who has also died,” she offers.

Nelson explains she is often listening to clients and suddenly he or she says something that flicks a switch in her mind and she will remember someone who also has a similar interest or persona.

“I’ll be sitting there and all of a sudden the man or woman might say something and I know of the perfect match for him or her. It happens to me all the time.”

Nelson tells the Irish Voice about a success story that began with an Irish born girl called Kathleen. She visited a dating agency Nelson was working with at the time.

“She told me she only wanted someone who was Irish-born, and sure enough I had the perfect man for her also from Ireland, I set them up and now they are happily married.”

Nelson, whose client base generally starts at 23 for girls and 25 for guys, is very honest with her clients from day one. “I tell everyone from the beginning, ‘You might not like what I have to say but I tell the truth.’”

Nelson modestly admits that in all her 700 successes, not one client has returned to her with a divorce saga. “I match people who are compatible with each other from the start to prevent divorce in the long term.”

So after the initial interview, and the background check is passed then Nelson gets to work.

“I first of all email people the pictures of their potential match and when both agree on each other I give them each others phone numbers,” she offers.

Nelson says it’s about a two-week process from the initial meeting to the first date. “The guys always make the phone call and take the lady out to dinner. My guys are gentlemen,” she said proudly.

Still unsure if you want to spend money on having someone find you a date? Don’t fret; Nelson offers a complimentary interview. She will sit down with you and explain what she does. Who knows, by the end of it, she might already have someone in mind.

Nelson, who has given lectures far and wide on the dating game, can be contacted through her website on www.mtnmatchmaking.com or call her directly at 866-760-0484 or at 1-888-31-match.