It is one of the most popular shows on Irish TV and First Dates Ireland has a Laois man in a very prominent role.
The acclaimed dating show returns to our screens for a brand new season as the show celebrates its milestone tenth anniversary.
Durrow native Neil Kenna will once again be the man behind the bar as he tries settle the nerves for those daring to have their first date in front of the nation.
Speaking ahead of the new season, Neil told LaoisToday how he got the gig of working as a barman on First Dates Ireland.
“I was originally going on the show as a dater, and I had my time slot allocated,” he said.
“But then the manager at the place that I was working at the time told me there was a company looking for a bar tender for a TV show – and I was like: ‘Oh God, it’s hardly the same thing?'”
Once Neil and the shows producers came to terms with the coincidence of the situation, the Laois man put together a video of himself preparing cocktails and answering some questions.
While he didn’t get the date out of it, Neil is more than happy with the way things turned out as has become one of the show’s vital regulars.
When he’s not appearing on First Dates, Neil manages Ely – a restaurant and wine bar in Dublin City Centre – but he says his TV gig is a lot less hectic.
“We film the whole series in five days in a row – five long days; it’s easy and you have a lot of fun doing it,” he said.
“You get halfway through and you’re wrecked, but then by the end you’re emotional and it’s just flown by.
“It’s a lot less hectic than working in a real restaurant – it’s much easier and there’s no shouting.”
When asked to give LaoisToday a sneak preview into what we can expect from season 10, Neil said: “There’s a lot of fun and a lot of singing in this one, we could have called it ‘First Dates The Musical’.
“There’s singing, there’s karaoke – it’s a lot of fun; it’s ten years of the show, so it’s a big birthday celebration as well.”
The show is filmed in the Gibson Hotel in Dublin at the Coda Eatery, a stylish spot that takes it’s name from Led Zeppelin’s final studio album.
The new season of First Dates Ireland begins tonight, Thursday, January 9, at 9.30pm on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player.
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