Dating industry flourishes during pandemic

Covid sees spike in demand for online dating services, with a notable change in people's expectations on finding a partner

Dating has changed during the pandemic but people are still finding innovative - and safe - ways to meet. Picture: iStock

That old phrase ‘love will find a way’ has clearly been given new life in Ireland over the last 15 months. While leisure pursuits, business enterprises and social activity came to a complete halt in March 2020, the pursuit of romance remained one interest that bucked the general trend.

Within a month of the first lockdown, Intro matchmaking agency recorded a 60% spike in demand from clients determined to meet potential partners regardless of the social barriers in effect across the nation.

“Even though we were forced to close our Grafton Street office due to Covid-19 in March of last year, the interest in our services ballooned almost immediately,” director and co-founder of Intro, Feargal Harrington, explains. 

“Isolation had an effect on both sexes, but men have certainly been more proactive in expressing an interest than ever before.”

Given the restrictions enforced across the country, people became less choosy or punctilious in what they expected a potential partner to be:

People’s expectations were certainly less selective or particular, and thus easier to manage.

Feargal Harrington: Director and co-founder, Intro Matchmaking.

Covid-19 has been the ultimate determining factor in this change, exchanging traditional vacillation for a more ‘can do’ motivation.

“The pandemic certainly stopped procrastination, or what I refer to as ‘over-analysis paralysis’. Living with the reality of a pandemic had the effect of making people less reluctant to admit the desire to share their lives with someone special and appropriate.”

June has seen a 112% upswing of interest in Intro services year-on-year, with a significant exodus from online dating influenced by remote working and increased screen time.

With 1.55m single people in Ireland, and a further 400,000 in the separated, divorced and widowed categories, Feargal makes the point that there is no reason to be alone for those seeking a partner.

"That said, even in the face of a digital dating age where it could not be easier to make connections with like-minded people, loneliness has become an epidemic.

Even though Ireland is currently well down the road to successfully coping with Covid-19, the pandemic has had a significant influence upon the dating demands of potential partners.

A recent Amarach survey commissioned by Intro found that 62% of singles will not date someone unless they have been or are about to be vaccinated.

People’s decision making when they look for a partner has become more politicised.

While a potential partner’s religion or politics might have been a deal-breaker for a previous generation, today’s stumbling blocks can often hinge on attitudes to water charges or property tax.

Similarly, while distance might have chilled the romantic ardour of lovebirds 20 years ago, lockdown has served to loosen those reservations: “Covid took away that issue away because people weren’t travelling, so they were getting to know each other and building the foundations of a relationship over video talk, zoom and whatsapp. Ultimately, it has helped people to relax their expectations.”

The research also highlighted how certain habits and personality patterns impacted on choosing a partner, with smoking and meanness a turn-off for women. 

Conversely, men baulked at brash or arrogant female behaviour. 

“By far the most common request we get at Intro in terms of deal-breakers is smoking. This most divisive of lifestyle habits has polarised non-smokers and smokers to a point where there are few who will agree to date both — it is one or the other.

“Smoking is on the decrease in Ireland and we can see that for a perfect match more than half would rather say ‘no thanks’ to a smoker,” Feargal explains.

Academic achievement also figures prominently in the gender divide.

“Given that women tend to remain longer in education, academic achievement does figure as another divide in the business of matchmaking. There are more professional women in Ireland, and our survey shows that in the 25-plus age group a significant number will not date someone of a different educational level.”

Almost a quarter of women surveyed would not be happy to date someone of a different educational standard.

In a line of work that conforms to the ‘no two days are the same’ variety, Feargal admits that Intro has been the perfect outlet for his sociable personality. After studying HR, his working
career began as a property negotiator working with a number of high-profile firms prior to opening Intro a decade ago.

“I love travelling the country, meeting all kinds of people, hearing all about their lives and listening to their stories. It’s such a pleasure coming into the office and planning introductions with the team. Our goal is always to help our members find love, and I enjoy keeping the standards high so we can continue to provide a quality service.”

While the business of romance in recent times has been heavily influenced by technology and the myriad options provided by social media, it has resulted in an age divide of activity.

“The younger generation in their teens and early 20s have embraced dating apps, often not seeing them as dating sites but rather entertainment social sites.”

However, fewer than a quarter of singletons and aged 25 and over use online dating channels, while just 11% of the over-55 go online to find romance.

Having recently opened an Intro franchise in Austria, Feargal does anticipate a wider European footprint for the agency in the years to come.

“We have learned a lot in the last decade, and successfully faced many challenges, particularly during the pandemic of the past 15 months. When we were approached by a couple in Vienna about opening an operation outside of Ireland, it was the kick-start we needed to think beyond the borders of this island,” he explains.

“There is an obvious Irish expat community right across Europe with whom we have already been dealing with over the years, but also a wider community of people who are clearly in need of the services we provide. Vienna is a first step in what will be a larger expansion of Intro in years to come.”