She first tried online dating because she was a single parent. She began using dating apps in her 40s, and her first experience was a culture shock. The online dating experience as a man in his 40s is “incredibly odd”, he says. Claire Treacy only experienced dating apps for six weeks, but even in that brief time she encountered unpleasant and explicit messages. Elaine*, in her mid-50s, has been trying online dating “on and off for years” since her marriage breakdown.

Source: The Irish Times February 15, 2026 10:31 UTC