The Dublin Bachelor's Club offers a space for single people to meet and have fun without the pressure of long term commitment.
Chairman of the Dublin Bachelor's Club Wally Doyle tried to place an advertisement in The Irish Times and The Irish Independent.
Wanted two beautiful, articulate intelligent young ladies, wanted to escort two handsome bachelors to a dinner dance on Saturday; view definitely not matrimony.
Both newspaper editors papers refused to run the advertisement, insinuating the Bachelor’s Club was a covert brothel and a prostitute club.
The Bachelor’s Club is neither a brothel, nor a lonely hearts club. Wally Doyle describes it as an institution,
A society or an organisation which will enable uncommitted people to meet without any commitment.
One of the few rules of the Dublin Bachelor’s Club concerns dating. If a man dates the same woman more than three times he is fined. If a member decides to date long term, they must opt out of the Bachelors Club entirely.
Wally Doyle says there are 200 members enrolled in the Club so it seems many people take the society seriously,
Perhaps we’ve even uncovered a really big social problem.
The Dublin Bachelor Club’s social organiser Dawn Fitzgerald is running an event at the Dolphin Hotel in Essex Street, Dublin. A woman at the event approves of the Club’s strict rules about dating as it deters people who are looking for marriage from joining.
It lays a nice basis.
She recently returned from America and is seeking new friends however she does not want to get into a relationship too quickly. The Bachelor’s Club is good way for her to meet people. She does not consider herself as a career girl as she does want to get married. However, she will not be getting married just for the sake of it. It is important for her to meet as many people as possible before she makes the choice to settle down.
This episode of 'Newsbeat’ was broadcast on 3 March 1971. The reporter is Michael Ryan.
