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Pitch a Friend, one of the many new dating initiatives to arrive in Ireland
Credit: Instagram@pitchafriend.buffalo
Ireland’s dating scene is seeing a boom thanks to new initiatives which revert from dating apps to more old-fashioned methods set to improve interactions and forge lasting relationships.
Despite being an almost universal practice, dating can be an incredible challenging task. The quest for love has become an exercise in frustration and hopelessness amid the multitude of channels for finding your other half.
Although it is true that many DO find love on dating apps like Tinder and can happily say that it all started with the swipe of a finger, for many, meeting someone in this way can feel impersonal, daunting and sometimes even, creepy.
This is why Ireland has gone back to basics to unravel the tricks behind successful dating, endeavouring to match modern problems with old-fashioned solutions in a new myriad of dating methods. Ireland’s dating scene is seeing a boom in more personal ways of meeting including new initiatives to set the trend for the dating ‘modus operandi’ across the globe.
‘Pitch-a-Friend’ is just one of several new initiatives for dating in Ireland
Dating innovation, ‘Pitch-a-friend’ was the brainchild of US software developer Lucas Chaufournier. After being inundated by complaints about how hard it was to meet people and phrases like ‘Dating is rough. It sucks. I need to take a break from dating,’ he came to realise that a dating overhaul was needed. Voila! He came up with the simple idea of Pitch-a-Friend. Here, participants pitch their single friends to a crowd, often through a PowerPoint presentation or similar. Deliberately mechanical, it clashes comically with the laughter, awkwardness and fun behind it.
“You get three minutes,” explains Chaufournier. “You can use photos, you can use videos, you can use whatever you want. Some people pick a theme …(like) Dragon’s Den-style presentation.” Some single people buck up the courage to to perform at the events. Follow-up questions are up next, washed down with a singles mingling and drinks night. If sparks are flying, participants can log onto the event’s app and send a message to their chosen crush. The initiative is travelling its merry way to Ireland, starting in Dublin at Foley’s Bar, Merrion Row, Dublin on November 20. and is currently accepting applications for what promises to be a sold-out night.
Time-wasting, emptiness and ghosting amongst main dating complaints
As Ireland grapples with the problems of modern dating methods (mainly apps), several key issues have arisen: time-wasting, emptiness and dehumanising behaviours like ghosting. Many experts argue that dating apps are exacerbating a lack of respect in dating culture.
‘Conscious Connections’: Irish alternative to dating and anti-ghosting
An organisation which wants to nip this in the bud is Conscious Connections. Founded by Sinéad Téhéry Cronin, it runs events, workshops and retreats focused on making meaningful connections and interactions during dating – like in the old days. It also educates on managing prior heartbreak and regulating boundaries related to consent and intimacy. More importantly, it has one key rule: “no ghosting!”
Singles Run Club? In Ireland, it spells dating success
Another initiative taking storm in Ireland is Your Friend My Friend. Started by Eoin and Samantha Keating, its most poignant addition to dating disciplines is the Singles Run Club. The initiative stemmed from a a charity run; seeing how quickly and naturally people hit it off, they decided to take the idea into the dating realm.
Singles can meet up, have a run then finish off at a café for food and drinks. It caters for all levels of fitness and there’s no competition. The pair commented on how connecting face-to-face was what people really wanted and said: “We love seeing people connect and get together.”