First Dates Ireland recap: Limerick lady continues her search for a soulmate
First Dates returned to RTÉ2 for the second episode of the new season
Sixty-year-old Sinead from Limerick is looking for her soulmate in the First Dates restaurant this week. “Someone that in years to come I’d be sitting on a bench at a beach with a 99 in my hand happy out,” explains the glamorous yoga teacher, who also works in a donkey sanctuary.
Sixty-three-year-old Michael from Wexford wants someone tall, fit, confident, and passionate. While Sinead seems to tick those boxes, the retired garda is surprised by her lack of interest in GAA, considering she is from Limerick.
Things get a little awkward after Sinead reveals that she brought a label in case she forgot her date’s name — but thankfully, she didn’t. “Do you remember my name,” Sinead asks Michael. “No,” he admits.
Eventually, she tells him her name again and all is forgiven. Michael opens up about a bad car accident and reveals that while he wishes he had children, he’s very close with his niece. She even lit a candle for him ahead of his big date.
After dinner, the pair are asked the all-important question: “Would you like to see each other again romantically?”
Michael goes first. “It was a fabulous date,” he starts. We can sense a “but” coming.
“I don’t think we’re suited overall,” he says. The reason? She’s not into sport.
Sinead admits she would have met him again, but they agree to keep in touch.
“Lookit, what you see is what you get,” says Mayo man Alan.
The 30-year-old describes himself as “honest, loyal and happy” and is looking for the same traits in his date, 30-year-old Megan from Kildare.
While sitting down for dinner, Megan asks the Mayo man if he has any kids. “Not yet,” he says, before adding that he’s like “a retired racehorse”.
“I ran me race and now it’s time to go into stud,” he explains as his date — thankfully — laughs.
Halfway through the meal, the pair are already planning on setting up their dogs and Alan is still making Megan laugh.
He jokes that she has food on her face before dribbling beer on himself. “At least we feel comfortable around each other,” he says and gives his giggling date another compliment.
There is a brief silence when they are asked if they will see each other again but after a nudge from Megan, Alan gives a quick “Yes,” followed by a “Yep” from his date before they both laugh.
In the closing credits, we learn that the giddy pair are officially a couple.
Genderqueer, non-binary, bisexual and polyamorous civil servant Bel (30) from Wicklow makes a rookie mistake by opening the wrong door to the restaurant (they seriously need to put up a sign). Nonetheless, they remain calm and confident.
“Gender is my playground. I’m not a man, not a woman…a bit of everything,” Bel explains and later tells us that they are looking for someone who is “not an asshole or a wet blanket”.
With facial piercings and bright blue hair, Sam (28) enters the First Dates restaurant and meets Bel at the bar.
While they are both nervous, they agree that they already feel as though everything will be ok.
During their date, the pair open up about mental health struggles while Sam talks candidly about body dysmorphia and gender dysmorphia.
When podcaster Bel is asked if they fancy Sam, they say: “Immediately.” Meanwhile, Sam also knew they would get along with Bel straight away. After all, they almost wore the same outfit, they say.
Sam is straight in with a “yeah” to seeing each other again. The pair hold hands in the elevator and head off to Fibbers to continue their date.
First Dates maître d'Mateo gives 24-year-old Chaggie from Dublin a confidence boost by complimenting his “guns” when he sees him.
The bodybuilder says he doesn’t do dating apps and prefers Instagram. His date, 21-year-old Nahia from Dublin feels the same.
The pair are already sharing a drink with two straws within minutes of meeting each other. They have a few awkward moments, including when Chaggie pulls out a chair for Nahia and she walks right past him without noticing, but we sense chemistry.
At the dinner table, conversation moves to star signs but luckily, Nahia gets along with Geminis so Chaggie is in the clear. However, Nahia is keen to know more so she whips out her phone to do some further digging into her date’s astrology. While her phone is out, Chaggie says he might as well give her his Instagram handle. Smooth.
The pair split their desserts and Chaggie admits to waitress Alice Marr that Nahia is “a bit of me”.
On the count of three, they both say “yes” to seeing one another again. They leave the restaurant holding hands and smiling. “Off into the sunset now,” says Nahia.
