Cupid’s arrow striking on first dates in lockdown love quest

MOST courting singletons do not want to hook up with anti-vaxxers or people flouting lockdown rules, according to research.

The pandemic has left some daters concerned about meeting a potential new partner.

And two thirds of people said they would not date anybody who does not plan to receive a Covid-19 vaccine.

A poll of 999 adults for Intro Matchmaking by Amárach Research also reveals the pandemic has changed some attitudes, with a shift away from traditional or “organic” dating because of lockdown restrictions.

Covid-19 has caused “a seismic, and permanent change in the dating landscape”, Intro Matchmaking director Feargal Harrington said.

Matchmakers say they have noticed clients are more likely to jump at the chance of pairing up soon after a first date.

Mr Harrington said this change means daters are looking at reasons others are a good match for them rather than focusing on reasons they are not.

People have noticeably become more eager to give every match a chance and adjusted expectation over the past 12 months.

“People are now seeing real value in being in a serious relationship and having the chance to share life and lockdown with a partner, so far more couples are forming after first dates, and getting serious much faster,” he said.

“We see from our own clients that they have shed their expectations of perfection and are progressing beyond first dates into relationships far faster, with a new more hopeful outlook.

“We are seeing a real willingness to seek out why their match is suitable, rather than why they are not.

“Covid-19 has definitely been responsible for a spike in successful matches because it’s now not easy to meet new people, therefore they are less transient.”

Mr Harrington said Covid-19 can also be divisive for clients.

“We have had clients refuse to date someone who has suggested breaking travel restrictions to meet face-to-face and in other cases end a date prematurely if their match admitted attending a party.

“People feel very passionately about adherence to guidelines — or breaking them.”

Matchmaking has also changed, he added.

Processes have been adjusted to facilitate remoteworking and instead of meeting clients at his office, Mr Harrington now conducts video consultations. Virtual dates are also becoming increasingly prevalent in cases where travel restrictions mean people cannot meet up face-to-face.

This is also representative of how many new couples met during the pandemic, he said. Before Covid-19, 80pc of people would met their partners through school, work, college or socialising. There has been a shift towards more organised forms of meeting people.

“All of those chance opportunities to catch someone’s eye are gone and they are unlikely to return in the medium term, if at all,” he said.

“Tech companies say they don’t ever foresee a full return to an office environment and education has been successfully moved online also.

“As remote-working and e-learning become forever fixtures, and with bars and events unlikely to reopen in the near future, we can already see the huge shift away from the reliance on organic dating towards organised dating.”