Singletons in their 30s who are trying to find love are shunning the modern day approaches and resorting to a more traditional method, that of matchmaking, through the services provided by the Knock Marriage Bureau.
In its annual report just released by the Catholic dating service, 49 men and 72 women in the 30 to 40 age bracket are noted to have submitted their application forms to the service, while 13 couples who met through the service in the last year have gone on to get married.
From spring 2009 to July of this year a total of 250 enquiries were made with 120 men and 136 women completing application forms. The main bulk of male applicants were in the 36 to 40 age category (31 ) and the same number in the 41 to 45 age category. Women in their 30s were also the main applicants — 25 in the 31 to 35 age category and 47 in the 36 to 40 age category. Only one male applied in the 20 to 25 age category, while no women of that age applied.
Fifteen women who contacted the agency were from Mayo and 74 were professionals, with the majority of women educated to third level.
The majority of men were educated to second level and the main jobs which they worked in were industrial (58 ), agricultural (42 ), and 15 professionals. Nineteen men from both Galway and Mayo applied to the service while every county in the country was also represented by at least one applicant.
Thirteen couples entered into married life this year following their introduction through the service and, since 1968, the service has helped set up 883 marriages. The cost for a year’s application to the bureau is €150.
