SURE, IRELAND may be known to tourists as a 'romantic' holiday destination-- but it's just as much craic for single people.
The Emerald Isle is officially home to not one, not two, not even three, but four of the best cities in Europe for single people.
International travel magazine Big Seven Travel have named cities both north and south of the border in their brand-new list of the 50 Best Cities in Europe for Single People, compiled after major research into data on "singletons, dating apps, social life and the opinions of residents".
Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast were each named in the popular travel site's list, which also includes major European cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, Paris and Madrid.
Cork cityComing in 42nd in the list was Galway city in the west of Ireland, known for its spectacular nightlife and strong interest in art and culture, with Big Seven Travel revealing that Galway has the "highest percentage (at 53.3% ) of single people in Ireland, making it extra easy to find your very own Galway Girl. You’ve some decent chances at finding love in the singles capital of Ireland."
Next was Belfast, 29th in the list, where 106,568 people-- or 46.6% of the city's population-- are single, "a percentage that's quite promising". And with no shortage of brilliant restaurants, bars, music venues and more, there are plenty of places to meet 'the one'.
Galway cityThe Rebel County of Cork landed 25th in the list, with Big Seven Travel pointing out that Cork "holds the honour of 18th most popular Tinder city in Europe according to Nomad List users. It beats out countless other well known cities."
Belfast cityComing top of the list when it comes to the best Irish cities to be single in, Dublin won out, landing in a very impressive 13th place out of all European cities: the magazine revealed the data behind Dublin's spot in the list, writing:
"You’ll have the luck of the Irish when it comes to dating in Dublin, as it’s the 14th most popular city in Europe for Tinder Passport users. Dublin also ranks highly on Nomad List’s top Tinder cities in Europe, with users reporting positive reviews of the city’s dating scene and its openness to LGBTQ+."
Dublin city at Christmas timeOne Irish city notably absent from the list, however, was Limerick-- despite being named the 10th-best city in the world to be single less than two years ago.
This year's Big Seven Travel list of the 50 best European cities for single people saw the top 10 named as Lisbon, Tallinn, Oxford, Paris, Geneva, Berlin, London, Oslo and Madrid, with Stockholm clinching the top spot.
You can check out the full list on the Big Seven Travel website here.
