Shifty First Dates – The Her.ie Guide To Dating In Ireland: Brilliant Banter

In this weekly feature, Her.ie goes behind enemy lines to see what it’s really like to be single in Ireland. From speed dating to making speedy escapes, our no-holds-barred blog will follow our attempts to venture into the dating jungle, play the field and share any wisdom that we finds along the way. We want to hear your stories! Send your dating tales to hello@her.ie or Tweet us @herdotie with the #shiftyfirstdates.

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Week Twenty-Three: Brilliant Banter Tinder may be based on looks but any seasoned user will know that some solid banter is required if you want to seal the deal. While we may give them a hard time now and again (if you'll pardon the pun!), one thing that Irish men excel at is having the craic so even if Ryan Gosling himself was on the app, he'd have to come up with something a little more original than 'Hi X, How's your day?' if he wanted to strike it lucky with us. The Internet is awash with examples of some truly special conversations so this week, we decided to pay homage to some of the absolute Tinder legends who managed to achieve an A+ when it comes to playing the game... and a few who need to put a bit more work into their approach. 10) Lesson one, never overshare. TMI is the death of romance. 9) On the other hand, flattery will get you everywhere. 8) This is a terrible, terrible chat up line but we have to give the guy credit for persevering even when it's clear he's fighting an uphill battle! 7) As this guy so ably demonstrates, guilt trips generally do not have the desired effect. 6) While this would be VERY, VERY frustrating if you were the lady in question, we have to bow down to the absolute genius of comedian Rhys James, who decided that channelling his inner Craig David was the best way to hit it off with this Tinder match. 5) You may be trying to be funny Henry but this opening line ain't gonna do you any favours... 4) We know it hurt but for the love of god, LET IT GO!!! 3) Us girls love a bit of romance so writing a poem instead of sending us a picture of your pants may improve your chances dramatically. 2) But if you're going to brag about your assets, keep it funny. 1) While all of these gave us a giggle, we discovered earlier today that the ultimate and undisputed king of Tinder banter is Mayo man Enda Conway, who decided to woo the object of his affections with his own unique take on the Fresh Prince. Enda, give us a call! Got a better one for us? Email hello@her.ie or tweet us @Herdotie with the #shiftyfirstdates!