First Dates Ireland recap: Lonely Kerry farmer finds a woman for Christmas dinner
First Dates Ireland on RTÉ2 kicked off with a double date: Stephen and Jade, James and Siobhan.
First Dates Ireland returned to RTÉ2 on Thursday evening, complete with the first double-date of the season, a very awkward blind-date overseen by a sassy drag alter-ego and a farmer looking for a wife. Here's a quick recap:
Kicking off series nine of First Dates Ireland, our friendly restaurant team made up of Maitre'd Mateo, barmen Neil, and waiters Pete and Alice, are back to welcome the first blind dater.
It's Hansun, 24, from Louth, who is embarking on his date under the watchful eye of his sassy drag alter-ego Pluto. He says he enjoys being single, but he wants to “get the ride”, adding that he’s going into this with “an open mind, open heart and open legs”. Maybe don’t watch this with your granny.
He’s meeting Ciaran, 24, from Dublin, who prepared for this date with “a can in the shower”.
Things get off to a shaky start, with Ciaran appearing to raise his eyes at Hansun’s cocktail order, his dessert choice and his conversation starters (when is your birthday/star sign). As the date goes on, it just gets more and more awkward. When Alice comes with the bill, Hansun lets Ciaran pay without even an offer to split.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a very firm no from both to another date.
In the first double date of the series, wild and flirty Stephen, 28, from Athlone has brought along his trusty wingman James, 27, from Cavan in a bid to find love. They are joined by Jade, 26, from Newry, and Siobhan, 24, from Mayo.
Jade is looking for a man who can keep up with her – just as long as he knows he doesn’t wear the pants in the relationship. She kicks off her entrance by telling Maitre'd Mateo he’s “much better looking” in real life than on the telly! We’re not sure how we’d take that.. In fairness, she does say she likes to make people “squirm”.
The squirminess continues when Stephen wonders aloud who his date is, and seems to assume it is Siobhan because she matches some things he asked for on the form... he is, in fact, paired with Jade. Who, as it turns out, was hoping for his friend.
“When I saw you, I thought, he’s a pretty boy, he can’t be for me,” Jade tells Stephen honestly as they sit down. Awkward.
But, while they both admitted the other was not their usual type, they were pleasantly surprised once they sat down for the chat.
It was a yes from both to date number two.
James, who prides himself on his positive energy, is looking for a “girl next door”. He’s paired with self-described ‘cheeky monkey’ Siobhan, 24, from Mayo. He’s clearly very nervous as they sit down for the date but tells her he was hoping she was his date.
James is a “giveaway presenter”(no we didn’t realise that was a job either), and Siobhan looks after adults with special needs.
Both say while they are happy being single, they're ready to find love and they seem to be on the same page with their attitude to life.
James impressed Siobhan by telling her his best date was when he pulled off flying his long-distance American-based girlfriend to Paris for her birthday, complete with a boat trip by the Eiffel Tower. In comparison, Siobhan's best date was a picnic down the road. James promises to top it if he's "lucky enough" to secure a second date.
When the bill comes, Siobhan lets him pick up the bill, but only because she intends on paying for the next one.
Tom, 41, a farmer from Killorglin in Co Kerry, has been single for a while and he’s stepping out of his comfort zone today in the hopes of changing that.
“Up to a couple of years ago, it wouldn’t have bothered me one bit, but I definitely don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life”, he says, adding that every Christmas Day with the family seems to revolve around finding him a woman, god love him.
He’s matched up with Dutch lady, Ellie, 32, who is now living in Kerry herself and looking for a gentleman” who “knows what he wants”.
They two seem to hit it off, and Tom says he is "delighted" when it's all over. "She's brunette, and she's sound," he says beaming.
It's a yes from both of them to another date. Tom even kept the bill as a momento. Aw.
- First Dates Ireland airs Thursdays at 9.30pm on RTÉ2
