Offaly pensioner wins nation's heart on First Dates
A Tullamore pensioner who appeared on the RTE show First Dates last week says she “can't believe” the response. Lorraine Dormer (76) and her date Michael O'Doherty (81) won viewers' hearts when they met on the popular show.
They young at heart pair quickly found out that they had a lot in common, including a love of literature and music, with Lorraine revealing that she “adores” former Pogues frontman Shane McGowan.
They kept viewers captivated with their fascinating life stories. Lorraine's early years were spent in England, but at the age of five she was taken from her mother by a priest and brought to Ireland to her father's parents in Clara.
The cleric took the drastic step after he became aware of her mother's relationship with another man while her father was abroad with the RAF. She was also told that her mother had passed away.
Despite being a child Lorraine didn't believe that her mother had died and many years later she managed to track her down and become reunited.
Michael too has led a life less ordinary. Like many intelligent young men of his era, he entered the seminary but left with only months to go before his ordination. He then spent many years working in academia.
Lorraine and Michael had an instant rapport and it came as no surprise when after their meal, they revealed that they would like to see each other again.
The viewers of First Dates were as smitten with Lorraine and Michael as they were with each other. One Twitter user said that they were a perfect example for young people on how to act on a first date, while a number of social media posters said that watching the couple had left them misty eyed.
Speaking to the Offaly Independent this week, Lorraine said that she has been bowled over by the response to her and Michael's blind date. While she went in with an “open mind”, she admits surprised at the speed at which they hit it off.
“We had an instant rapport. We had a lot in common and a lot of similar interests which always helps.”
She and Michael have met on a number of occasions and are “constant contact” sending each pieces of poetry and prose.
A member of the Wordsmiths writing group in Tullamore. Lorraine's love of literature and writing inadvertently led to her appearing on the show. “We [Wordsmiths] published a book last year and one of the writers from Senior Times published a review of it. I bought the magazine to read the review and under it I saw an advertisement for First Dates Ireland.
“I though what the hell and applied to appear on the show. I never thought I'd hear from them.”
As well as being the project manager for the book, Lorraine also contributed a number of pieces. Her literary skills are being put to good use at the minute as she writes a book that not only covers her own life but goes back into the history of her ancestors.
It should be quite the read.