Emper native to appear on First Dates finale

Nobody will ever be able to accuse Emper native Liam Glynn of being afraid to go out of his comfort zone.

A keen runner with eight marathons under his belt, and an actor, he was also chosen to be one of the contestants in this month’s revived Westmeath Bachelor competition, which had to be postponed due to COVID-19.

This Thursday night Liam will be able “to tick another box off his bucket list”, when he appears on the final episode of the hit RTE 2 show First Dates Ireland.

Marketing specialist Liam’s blind date is Lyndsey from Longford.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner this week, Liam was remaining tight-lipped about how the date went, but revealed that thankfully his and Lyndsey’s paths had never crossed before.

He says that he applied to appear on First Dates after becoming bored with online dating.

“A few of my friends suggested that I should apply for it. I said feck it, I’d apply for it and see what it was going to be like. It would be a different experience.

“I am sick of all the online dating sites, Tinder and all of them. You don’t know who you are talking to. I said that I’d go for the experience, sure what do I have to lose.”

The producers of First Dates Ireland put would-be daters through a rigorous selection process, including lengthy phone and face to face interviews. Liam says that he enjoyed the selection stage and that being picked was a confidence booster.

“It was good talking to new people and trying to sell yourself to people. You’re asked questions that you have never been asked before and go through a lot of your past as well. I found it a great experience, the whole process,” he said.

Liam says that on the day the show was filmed he had a few butterflies in his stomach but resisted the temptation to drink beforehand for some Dutch courage.

“Obviously, I was a bit nervous, there would be something wrong with you if you weren’t. When I went into the restaurant, for the first few minutes I was really nervous but as it went on I starting being myself and when I got going there was no stopping me.

“The staff are really nice. There are no cameras in your face - all of the cameras are hidden. You can say what you want, there is no filter on you.

“The staff are really friendly, they come and take your order and ask if you’re happy. It is just like going into a restaurant that you’ve never been in before - it is that kind of experience.”

While he is obliged not to divulge how the date went, Liam said that he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

“I am very happy I did it. I am not going to say that I’m going to go back on First Dates, but after I did my first marathon I said that I’d never do one again and I’m doing number nine this year in October.

“It was definitely something to tick off my bucket list. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to try a new experience. It’s a different experience. It’s a great way of getting yourself out there and selling yourself through your personality,” he said.