THIS WEEK’S EPISODE of First Dates Ireland was as heartwarming, wholesome and awkward as ever.  

Things kicked off with an introduction to 32-year-old Carol Ann from Leitrim, who struggles to find suitors in her home county, because there just aren’t that many people in Leitrim in general. 

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Carol Ann was very excited to learn about herself from this experience, and see what kind of person First Dates would want to set her up with. She wasn’t giving them much leeway either, as she had a pretty extensive list of personality traits she’s seeking.

She wanted someone who was:

• Kindhearted 
• Gentle
• Encouraging
• Easy to read
• Trustworthy
• Honest
• Loyal
• Decent
• With a strong conscience
• Deep
• Soulful
• Creative (or at least appreciates creativity)
• Believes in God and prays
• Forgiving
• Caring
• Fun
• Funny
• Good sense of humour
• Emotionally available
• Generous
• Helpful
• Thoughtful
• Considerate
• Healthy – emotionally, physically and mentally.
• Self-disciplined 
• Balanced lifestyle
• Positive
• Grounded
• Calm
• Likes nature and long chats
• Someone that sees her and makes sure she’s appreciated and respected
• Someone who puts their relationship as their priority in life
• Someone who can be her best friend and do most things with her
• Someone who loves to give her attention, tends to her needs and handles her sensitivity well
• Someone she feels strong and secure and loved around
• Preferably in good shape
• Tidy to live with
• Nice voice and hands
• Comfy cool style

And, meanwhile, my friends are out here willing to settle for anyone who meets this criteria:

• Not married
• Ideally not a serial killer, but can work around this one if needs be

Carol Ann’s criteria might look like a long list, but realistically none of those things seem like too much to ask for. You’re probably wondering who on earth who fits the bill. Meet Cathal.

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Immediately upon meeting Cathal, Carol Ann got really flustered and told him “They judge it really well”, clearly referring to her list of requirements that he had yet to find out about. Aww, look at her. Delighted. 

RTÉ RTÉ

 When they eventually sat down for dinner, the pair of them realised that neither of them had exchanged names when they met. So, Cathal asked if she wanted to do a little guessing game. Remember – this was Cathal’s idea, not Carol Ann’s. 

First, Carol Ann guessed that his name was ‘Sean’. Cathal said, “That’s my da’s name.” Carol Ann laughed, “Close enough!” She gave it another go, and guessed “Conor?” Cathal replied, “My brother’s name. Jesus! What?” 

Finally, she guessed that his name was Cathal, and he was just a little bit amazed. Carol Ann wasn’t even phased by her own psychic abilities though. If that were me in the restaurant I’d be standing up calling everyone over and asking the camera crew if they had caught that. 

If the video won’t play, click here.

As the date went on, things only got better. 

Cathal revealed to Carol Ann that he had been in a car accident in Brazil, which left him in a coma for eight weeks. One of the upsides of this horrible experience, was that it brought him so much closer to his family after he saw everything they did to help him get to where he is now. Carol Ann asked, “How long did it take you to recover?” Cathal explained:

I don’t know. You see, in my head I’m still recovering or whatever. I had a head injury, you see. Like I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know how to do anything like. I had to relearn stuff. Just essentially how to do everything. Day to day things. Things that you wouldn’t even tell a child, or feel the need to tell a child, you know? Now it effects me more so in my memory, my concentration and things like that. 

That affects your confidence, like. Sometimes I get the impression that, you know, people are saying “This fella is happy-go-lucky and he’s joking, but he’s not really… at the races… y’know?”

Carol Ann was really amazed by Cathal’s story, before she revealed that her brother was also in a car accident that left him in a coma. Carol Ann went on to talk about her brother’s recovery, which is still ongoing as he’s in a care home four years later, but she believes that he’s going to get there some day. After this conversation, you could see the bond between the two of them intensifying. 

If the video won’t play, click here. 

We probably don’t need to tell you what happened in the end, but the pair of them were very eager to see each other again. 

And as for the rest of the daters? 

Well, there were a handful of other lovely dates, but you’ve now exceeded your RDA of wholesomeness for the day and it’s not even lunch time. So instead, let us fill you in on the most awkward date of the evening. 

Dubliner Sarah was set on finding an American lad for herself, but instead she was set up with a Canadian account manager named Alex. How did that go? Well, he asked if there was anything in life that she had really wanted to try but has always been to scared of. She didn’t say sky-diving, or travelling, or anything like that. Instead, she replied, “Salmon.” 

To make things worse, she spilled a cocktail on his white hat. Here’s an update on how the hat is today:

But let’s be real – things weren’t solely awkward on Sarah’s end of things. Alex rapped for her and eh…

If the video won’t play, click here. 

Let’s just pretend that didn’t happen. After watching the show, Alex uploaded a video of himself rapping to Twitter.

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We couldn't find this Tweet

If the video won’t play, click here. 

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