Valentine’s Day: New data reveals which county has the most romantic men in Ireland

The peak day for spending in florists by men last year was Thursday, February 13, when over half a million euro was spent (€505,000).

Card spending data from AIB shows that €143m was spent by the bank's customers on Valentine's Day last year, an increase of 45% on 2024.

Despite recovering from the impact of Storm Eowyn approximately three million card transactions took place on that Friday. AIB said spending patterns this year will likely be influenced by the Six Nations rugby match between Ireland and Italy on Saturday in Dublin.

The peak day for spending in florists by men last year was Thursday, February 13, when over half a million euro was spent (€505,000), with an average spend of €62 on a bunch of flowers. The busiest time on February 14 was between 4pm and 5pm, as people made a last-minute dash on their way home from work. Men from Kerry spent the most on flowers (€72) followed by Limerick (€68) and Sligo (€67). 

Seemingly less overcome by romance, men from Westmeath spent the least (€54) followed by Donegal (€55) and Cavan (€57). In-store purchases accounted for 62% of this spend.

Fast food restaurants enjoyed their best day of the month on Valentine’s Day, with an average transaction of €17. The data was compiled from 67m card transactions carried out by AIB customers in store and online during February 2025. Data provided by AIB features one of the most comprehensive and accurate data sets on consumer spending in Ireland.

The data shows women spent more than men at the cinema on Valentine’s Day last year, at 57%. This was also the case throughout the month of February, when spending by women at the movies outstripped men by 62% versus 38%.

Valentine’s Day was also the best day in February for spending on jewellery, with an average transaction size of €142. 63% of the spend in jewellers that day was by men and the vast majority (83%) was in-store rather than online. 

AIB’s Head of Consumer, Adrian Moynihan said “Valentine’s Day spending patterns continue to evolve, reflecting not only our love of flowers, food, and supermarket bargains, but also the influence of societal – and sporting - events. With Ireland set to face Italy in the Six Nations on Valentine’s Day this year, we anticipate a lively atmosphere and a shift in spending trends, especially in Dublin."