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LOVE GAA and 12 other niche dating sites

Not forgetting the rugby lovers, ethical earthworms, unattached Catholics and wannabe Sugar Daddies.

24/03/12 5,291 Views 3 Comments
Are you looking for your own fairytale ending?
Are you looking for your own fairytale ending?
Image: Alastair Grant/AP/Press Association Images

SO ALL US singletons have got through Valentine’s Day (phew!) but now we’ve to contend with the barrage of Bank Holiday weekends lining up over the spring/summer.

As friends and siblings head off on romantic breaks to beleaguered Celtic Tiger hotels with online deal vouchers we, admittedly, gave them at Christmas time, we’re left with three great big 24-hour-long gaps of nothing.

Ok, we may be exaggerating just a little, but still, the rise and rise of the dating website in Ireland cannot be denied. Lots of people are seeking a friend-but-maybe-more, while others go all-out and demand their soulmate.

Plenty of entrepreneurs have latched onto the trend and are trying to specialise the arena. Enter the niche dating site:

LOVE GAA and 12 other niche dating sites
1 / 13

  • PolishHearts.ie

    There is a significant Polish community in Ireland, so obviously, someone has decided a dating site is required. Photo. Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland.

  • It's Just Lunch

    Well-educated professionals only. McDonald's probably isn't acceptable either. Website: ItsJustLunchDublin.com

  • SingleParents.ie

    The website says it is a community for Irish single moms and dads searching for friendship, love and understanding.

  • GetOut.ie

    This website not only sets couples up but it organises the dates too. Sure, there are speed dates, singles parties and dinners but there are also Irish adventure weekends complete with challenging activities and "outdoorsy fun". Walks in Wicklow and quiz nights are also popular. Image: Angela Lyons

  • Parship.ie

    Some websites offer friendship or maybe just a bit of fun. Parship.ie is much, much more serious. Only those after a long-term relationship need log on here for compatibility matching and relationship advice. Image: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda

  • Spark Dating

    It's for charity! To activate an account on SparkDating.ie, at least €20 needs to be donated to charity and 100 per cent of it goes to charity. The site's operators say there is no catch. Spark! used to be for profit but the found met his own wife through the site and decided it was time to give something back. Awwww

  • Ethical Singles

    Are you looking for a fellow vegetarian? Or vegan? Maybe someone who is as into sustainability as you are. Head over to Ethicalsingles.com. But men, beware, these ladies from PETA may not be on their either.

  • Ashley Madison

    "Life is short. Have an affair." The site is for married men and women who want to have an affair. More than 40,000 Irish people have signed up. Image: BusinessInsider

  • Rugby Lover

    RugbyLover.co.uk may be a British site but it doesn't discriminate against Munster, Leinster, Connaught or Ulster fans. But ladies, beware, you probably won't meet Tommy Bowe online. Image: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

  • Dating's for ugly people too

    TheUglyBugBall.com offers daters who aren't so pretty a chance to "dive into an ocean of uglies" for more choice. The founders believe ugly people are a better calibre of human - more considerate and loyal - as they have had a tougher life. Aside: the dog in the photo is Hercules, a blind one-eyed 15-year-old pug who took part in last year's World's Ugliest Dog Contest. Aw, mean. Image: AP Photo/Noah Berger

  • The Catholic Unattached Directory

    Cathud.com has more than 8 million members. The directory of unattached Catholics is available in hard copy, as well as online. Most people who have signed up still prefer to receive traditional mail, rather than email. There is also a section for separated or divorced Catholics.

  • SeekingArrangement.com

    Always wanted a Sugar Daddy? Look no further than seekingarrangment.com/Ireland. They insist there are still millionaires out there seeking "mutually beneficial relationships". If you're the younger in the set-up, you'll be known as the Sugar Baby. Ok then. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

  • LOVE GAA

    This "dating and friendship" site, lovegaa.ie, offers a chance for people to meet that special someone who shares their love and passion for Gaelic Games! Image: these people did not meet on LOVE GAA. Inpho/Cathal Noonan
  • There is a significant Polish community in Ireland, so obviously, someone has decided a dating site is required. Photo. Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland.
  • Well-educated professionals only. McDonald's probably isn't acceptable either. Website: ItsJustLunchDublin.com
  • The website says it is a community for Irish single moms and dads searching for friendship, love and understanding.
  • This website not only sets couples up but it organises the dates too. Sure, there are speed dates, singles parties and dinners but there are also Irish adventure weekends complete with challenging activities and
  • Some websites offer friendship or maybe just a bit of fun. Parship.ie is much, much more serious. Only those after a long-term relationship need log on here for compatibility matching and relationship advice. Image: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda
  • It's for charity! To activate an account on SparkDating.ie, at least €20 needs to be donated to charity and 100 per cent of it goes to charity. The site's operators say there is no catch. Spark! used to be for profit but the found met his own wife through the site and decided it was time to give something back. Awwww
  • Are you looking for a fellow vegetarian? Or vegan? Maybe someone who is as into sustainability as you are. Head over to Ethicalsingles.com. But men, beware, these ladies from PETA may not be on their either.
  • RugbyLover.co.uk may be a British site but it doesn't discriminate against Munster, Leinster, Connaught or Ulster fans. But ladies, beware, you probably won't meet Tommy Bowe online. Image: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
  • TheUglyBugBall.com offers daters who aren't so pretty a chance to
  • Cathud.com has more than 8 million members. The directory of unattached Catholics is available in hard copy, as well as online. Most people who have signed up still prefer to receive traditional mail, rather than email. There is also a section for separated or divorced Catholics.
  • Always wanted a Sugar Daddy? Look no further than seekingarrangment.com/Ireland. They insist there are still millionaires out there seeking
  • This

Have you tried online dating? We’d love to hear your experiences. Email the author on sinead@thejournal.ie or tips@thejournal.ie.

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About the author:

Sinead O'Carroll
@SineadOCarroll
sinead@thejournal.ie

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