In today's world, it's never too late for love, and films such as Something's Gotta Give or the more recent It's Complicated are finally acknowledging the unique relationships of the senior set. There are books on the subject, such as Dr Amanda Smith Barusch's Love Stories of Later Life: A Narrative Approach to Understanding Romance, which features essays from older people about falling in love later in life. Now there's even a play: Jane Juska's A Round-Heeled Woman, a memoir that details her search at age 67 for the perfect lover, has just hit the stage in San Francisco. It's as though society has finally dusted off its bifocals and realised that the image of the grey-haired, bingo-obsessed granny is, in fact, outmoded. Nowadays, granny's hair is more likely to be tastefully highlighted, and she's probably traded her bingo cards for an online 'wink' at a stranger. The 2006 census states there were more than 150,000 single Irish people between the ages of 60 and 74. Some of these singles were divorced, some never married and some were widowed. But regardless of the circumstances of their singledom, a great many of these seniors are embracing the dating scene. Catherine 65 , from Galway, doesn't have any qualms about continuing her search for Mr Right Today's older set shrug off the very idea, and some have turned to dating sites such as Another Friend. Some opt for sites that cater specifically to older adults, such as DatingforSeniors. Others are using dating services and some are trying their luck the old-fashioned way, at the local pub. But, one wonders, what is the dating experience for the over 50s really like? Mary has been divorced since 1975, and aside from a few long-term relationships, she's spent most of her adult life single. She's been online dating for about seven years now, at AnotherFriend. And the guys under 50 don't want a woman over 60. But the men I meet now want to embrace the rules of today's teenagers and get laid on the first date. But I'm old-fashioned enough to think 'no, I want to know somebody before I go to bed with them'. I respect my body more than that. But I've been on first dates where the men have been up for it. And I'm thinking, 'Hang on, I just met you a few minutes ago'. One of the major difficulties for us in our 60s is that on the face of it, without physically knowing you, people know you only as a number. Anyone looking at my age says, 'Oh forget it'. They think I'm a granny. Men feel it too. Ray also feels he is unjustly seen as merely a number. There are people who are 40 and seem dead. And then there are people who are 60 and older, and are really exciting people to be with. He took a couple of years to see if he liked being on his own, but decided to plunge back into the dating pool. But I've come to the conclusion that you can't enjoy things on your own as much as you can with another person. So far he likes the service, and has even had a brief relationship spring from it. Ray finds the most significant challenge of dating for the 60-plus crowd is the intense emotional baggage. Then if you're divorced, you've got that baggage. So that's all in there. And it's very difficult to release that on the next person you meet. Or it could be that your partner has died. While there are various senior programmes and clubs in Ireland, these groups, for many, simply feel too musty. I've gone to some, more with a view of making friends, and if you did meet someone, fine. But it's an opportunity to meet people without any of the pressure of dating. The trip will include 58 over-50s singles. Angy separated from her husband nine years ago, after a 27-year marriage. She is a member of three different dating sites. But since then, my son and daughter have been internet dating. So I can't be that mad. That would be super. People would fill them, because there's an awful lot of people on their second and third time round. But minefield or not, it certainly isn't deterring anyone. Fiona is the associate professor at the Institute of Neuroscience and the School of Psychology at Trinity. She does much of her research working with older adults, and she says a lot of the feedback she gets is regarding love relationships. Fiona says that we know intuitively that attractiveness does not pertain to just one particular age group. There are plenty of older people out there who we find universally attractive, for example Helen Mirren or Alec Baldwin. We're all getting older, and it's interesting to try to look at what we will be looking for as we get older. While time might not be on your side, experience certainly is. I'm not so emotionally involved. You're much more relaxed as you grow older, and you realise that if something doesn't work out, well, you can't be everything to everybody. You're also more laid back. For instance, I'm very happy for someone to have their own outlets and hobbies and do their own thing, which might feel threatening when you're younger. And it's nice to have that in your life. Whether you're 30, or whether you're 50 or 60.
