The headline news in advance of the latest series of First Dates Ireland is that it is to feature the former X Factor contestant Mary Byrne. But that’s all in the future, and former Simon Cowell proteges are thin on the ground as the season kicks off (RTÉ Two, Thursday, 9.35pm).
First Dates is Marmite viewing of the first order, and a strong cringe factor is, as ever, baked into the concept of watching total strangers try to get a sense of one another. As a reminder of the sheer agony of small talk, the show has the market cornered, while the deeply cheery staff are going to get on your nerves if you’re tuning in after a long day.
That said, First Dates has a sweet side in that it reminds us of the value of human connection. Margaret, who is 67 and from Dublin, tells her date Robin, who is 60 and from Melbourne, about her “Sunday blues”. “Everybody is with their family,” she says. “Everybody has somebody, but you.”
Elsewhere, Lisa, from Athy in Co Kildare, tears up as she talks about being raised by her grandparents, and the pain of her grandfather’s death when she was 23. “It was great until they died,” she says.
Lisa is larger than life – a staple personality-type on First Dates. It takes a certain sort of extrovert to want to put their dating experiences on television, after all, and the series isn’t exactly full of introverts looking to make a connection. In that regard, it probably doesn’t tell us very much about dating in Ireland in 2026 – but then First Dates is throwaway television by design rather than a deep sociological experiment.
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First Dates Ireland’s success speaks for itself: there have been three confirmed marriages (and at least one baby) over its lifespan. It first aired in 2016, making this its 10th anniversary with RTÉ. Can the relationship continue? Solid ratings suggest these partners are not sick of each other just yet.
Most of this week’s dates end on an upbeat note. While Lisa and Boo are upfront about not having chemistry, Margaret and Robin want to see each other again, as do north Cork and Limerick natives Diarmuid and Shannon and fantasy-novel fans Áine and Keith. Good for them – and good on viewers who survive 50 minutes of often toe‑curling banter on a show that manages, somehow, to be simultaneously unwatchable and heartwarming.