First Dates review: One toe-curling date and three happy-ever-afters
It's almost time to say goodbye to First Dates Ireland
Thanks to her daughter, Dr Dee is the first to join us in the restaurant tonight. The 60 year old GP is full of contagious enthusiasm, telling the camera how she has decided to venture outside of her comfort zone now that her children are grown up. “Love is a great feeling,” she says. “It’s time for me now to start having my life.” Enter Mayo man James. The 64 year old healthcare assistant is looking for “a devil and an angel all mixed up in one Swiss Roll”, having been dumped and unsuccessful with dating apps.
First on the conversation topic list is Dee’s stitched-up hand, which lost a tough battle to a deck chair outside of her home in Co Westmeath. Soon, the focus shifts to Dee’s incredible work ethic and speciality in menopause, where the audience collectively flinched as she was told the topic “wasn’t really date conversation”.
As expected, it was all pretty much downhill from there, though not before some chats about sea swimming and James’ cancer battle. Dee also gets the last word after James suggests that the date will change her workaholic ways: “I won’t be told what to do”.
Next to, quite literally, tower over the episode is 6’6” tall Chris. The 27-year-old Dubliner is the ideal candidate for 26-year-old Limerick native Áine, who is more than a foot shorter than her match. “I think it just feels nice walking next to someone taller than you,” she says. Chris and his size 14 feet are only delighted.
The pair get on extremely well and also end up discussing sea swimming - could a seaside special be on the cards? If so, everyone will be hoping that this couple will be present.
Their entire conversation is a breath of fresh air, with open chats about body image, anxiety, and Chris’ bipolar disorder. And it all works out swimmingly (pun intended). “There’s a lot more to chat about. We only hit the tip of the iceberg,” says Chris. All of which is to be discussed on date number two.
Gentleman Aidan arrives for his first-ever blind date next. The 67-year-old tennis fanatic is matched with fellow Dubliner Lisa. Like Dr Dee, 55-year-old Lisa was also pushed to enter the show by her daughter. We’re sure she’s thankful, as she seems to have finally met the “silver fox” she had been looking for in Aidan.
Aidan, who also has kids and has been married twice, is fascinated by Lisa’s stories of living in the US. In turn, Lisa is heartened by the way Aidan talks about his wife, who passed away from cancer seven years ago.
The pair bond over their love of fitness and Aidan correctly tells the camera that Lisa is a stunner. Soon after, both say they would like to see each other again and leave with smiles on their faces.
Masters student Caoimhe is matched with hotel receptionist John for the final date of the night. “What’s it like dating in Cavan? There’s no dating in Cavan,” says John, who is an instant hit with viewers.
Virgin daiquiri in hand, the 23-year-old gets ready to be the “real man” Caoimhe, also aged 23, is looking for. Like her match, Caoimhe is delightful to watch and the Ulster natives have plenty in common. Unfortunately, we don’t get much time with this pair but the good news is that date number two (and three, and four) are a go — and apparently, Caoimhe is even “wife material”. The date gets a score of ten from both sides.
And that nearly marks the end of another season of with next week’s final episode just picking out the best bits from the past few weeks.
“You made the love happen,” Mateo Saina tells his fellow staff members. As John said when the bill came, “time flies when you’re having fun”.
