Craic On! Bantry Singles Festival Returns

Are you tired of dating apps? Looking to make a real connection? If so, Bantry might be the place to be this September.

After finding it increasingly difficult to meet people in real life, Bantry business owner Ruby Morley and her friends decided to do something about it. What began as an idea for a single speed-dating event quickly grew into the Bantry Singles Festival.

“We were both single and finding it really hard to meet people,” Ruby explains. “We were saying it was impossible online.”

The festival returns to Bantry from the 11th to 13th of September, bringing singles from Cork and beyond together for a weekend of meeting, mingling and, hopefully, making a genuine connection.

Now in its second year, the festival is designed as an alternative to the sometimes impersonal world of dating apps.

“I think people don’t even see it as a real person on the other end of the phone anymore,” says Ruby.

Between ghosting, endless swiping and people matching without ever meeting, dating apps can make finding a connection feel more complicated than ever. The Bantry Singles Festival takes a much simpler approach: put people in the same room and let them talk.

“If someone’s in front of you, you know within 10 minutes whether you like them or not,” Ruby says.

And while romance is certainly on the cards, the festival isn’t solely about finding a partner. It is also about making friends, widening your social circle and getting people out and about in Bantry.

Last year’s inaugural festival exceeded the organisers’ expectations, with Bantry packed with visitors and attendees travelling from Cork City, Kinsale, Dublin and other parts of Ireland. Some stayed for the entire weekend, while others travelled down for the day.

This year, many of the popular events are returning, including speed dating and blind dates, alongside a whole host of new activities.

There will be dance classes, drawing and caricature classes, a crab race, golf tournament, tag rugby, pool, and a chess tournament. For those who prefer something a little more relaxed, there will be yoga, hill walking, and other sober activities.

There are also two Irish-language events, including one where attendees can learn how to flirt as Gaeilge.

The organisers have deliberately created a programme that extends beyond the pub, giving people the chance to meet while doing something they actually enjoy.

“I think when you are going to something like that, it’s a bit easier talking to them than just walking into a pub with music.”

The festival is open to people of all ages and orientations.

A colour-coded wristband system will make things a little easier for anyone who is nervous about approaching someone:

Blue: Straight and single
Purple: Queer and single
Red: Taken or not interested in meeting someone

The system means there is no need to spend the evening trying to figure out whether someone is available or interested.

The organisers are also keen to dispel the idea that the festival is aimed exclusively at people in their twenties and thirties.

“Every age group is welcome and wanted.”

For anyone feeling nervous about attending alone, there will be volunteers throughout the festival to help people mix, mingle and get conversations started.

And there is no need to arrive with a big group of friends. Last year, plenty of people came on their own, and this year the organisers are introducing group tables at restaurants so solo attendees can sit together and meet other festival-goers over a meal.

Ruby says the feedback from last year showed that eating alone was one of the less enjoyable parts of attending solo, so the new communal tables are designed to make the whole weekend more welcoming.

While the ultimate hope for some attendees may be to meet their future partner, Ruby is keen to encourage people not to put too much pressure on themselves.

“I think not to put too much pressure on the romance,” she says. “Come and have laughs and just generally meet people and chat.”

One particularly magical success story came from a love spell workshop held at Ruby’s shop, Sea Dog. One attendee took part in the workshop last year and met someone about a week later. 

With events ranging from love spells and astrology to sport, art, dancing and speed dating, there really is something for everyone.

The festival’s name was chosen deliberately. The organisers wanted to avoid anything that sounded too serious or overly romantic, particularly when it came to encouraging men to attend.

“The hardest thing with any dating event is to get men to go,” Ruby says.

Rather than calling it a matchmaking or dating festival, they wanted something that reflected relaxed and fun ethos.

The result was Craic On, a name that captures exactly what Ruby hopes attendees will do.

“I think someone that’s up for having a laugh and mixing is a perfect festival flirt.”

And her advice to anyone who is interested in someone is simple: go for it.

“If you like someone, go for it. They’re there for one weekend, so why not? What’s the worst that can happen?” 

The Singles Festival has also become a way of bringing people into Bantry at a time of year when the summer season is beginning to wind down.

Local businesses have got behind the event, with shops and cafés getting involved and hosting activities throughout the weekend, there are also plenty of deals to be found in the local shops.

And it’s not just singles who are invited.

At the Anchor Tavern, the Chapel of Love will give couples the chance to celebrate their relationships, with a registered celebrant available for vow renewals and commitment ceremonies.

For Ruby, the festival is ultimately about getting people out of their houses, away from their phones and back into the real world.

Whether you come looking for love, friendship, a new social circle or simply a good weekend in Bantry, Ruby’s advice is the same:

Craic on!

For more information about Bantry Singles Festival, see here.