For separated parents, Dublin has an advantage that is easy to miss: many live a few stops apart on the DART or the Luas after a separation, so handovers do not eat the whole evening. The same city has a catch for dating, though. Someone in Swords and someone in Tallaght may as well live in different counties on a Tuesday night at rush hour.
Where to meet the first time
For a first meeting what counts is: public, daytime or early evening, and easy to end. Dublin has plenty of places like that without anyone needing to recommend a bar:
- The pier in Dún Laoghaire, out to the lighthouse and back. You walk, you talk, and after an hour you can say goodbye naturally.
- Along the canal, between Portobello and Baggot Street, if you both work in town.
- St Stephen's Green or Herbert Park, when you want something green and quiet.
And when the kids are with you?
For weekends with the children: Phoenix Park for bikes and the deer, the cliff path at Howth for older ones, the beach at Bray or Portmarnock, and the playgrounds in your own area. Later, if a relationship becomes serious, those same places work well for a short first meeting with the kids. How to go about that calmly is in introducing a new partner to your children.
Distance as a filter
In a big city it is tempting to talk to everyone. For parents, distance decides a lot: if you live in Clondalkin and he lives in Malahide, a spontaneous evening is close to impossible. Check first whether your free days match, then how far apart you are. In PAM's Custody Schedule you see shared free days before you even say hello.
If you prefer meeting people by chance, there is FacePAM: you switch it on for a set time, say on a Saturday afternoon on the pier, and see PAM members nearby who have switched it on too. Nobody sees your exact location.
Everyday life in Dublin on your own
Between creche, after-school and work there is not much slack. What helps a lot of Dublin parents is a second family in the area to share pick-ups with. In PAM that is called Helping Hand. And in The Circle, the PAM forum, parents talk about everything that doesn't get said in the playground.
To be honest: the PAM community in Dublin is only getting started. The app is in English, and every mum and dad who joins now makes it more useful for the next.
More: single parent dating in Ireland, guardianship, custody, access and a new relationship and the year with the kids.
Get PAM →Common questions
- Where can I meet someone safely for the first time in Dublin?
- Somewhere public, in daylight or early evening, like a walk on the pier in Dún Laoghaire or along the canal. Tell a friend where you are.
- What can single parents do with kids in Dublin?
- Phoenix Park, the cliff path at Howth, the beaches at Bray or Portmarnock, and the playgrounds in your own area. Much of it is reachable by DART or Luas.
- Is PAM available in Dublin?
- Yes, the app is in English. The community in Dublin is just getting started.
- Does distance matter when dating with kids?
- A lot. If you live far apart there are hardly any spontaneous evenings. Compare free days first, then distance.