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Last Friday's Late Late Valentine's edition blew the TV ratings out of the water for RTÉ...

1.2 million people tuned in to see Johnny Logan, Blind Date version 2.0, and a whole host of seemingly-tipsy singletons.

Johnny Logan Johnny Logan appearing on last Friday's Late Late Show RTÉ RTÉ

IF YOU HAPPENED to be paying attention to the Late Late Show on RTÉ One last Friday night, you may have noticed that the show’s Valentine’s edition appeared to be, well, a little well-lubricated.

Yes, the audience comprising nothing but singletons to a man and woman appeared to be a bit tipsy.

Not that it’s done RTÉ’s figures any harm – according to the broadcaster more than 1.2 million viewers tuned in over the course of the night.

Better still for the state broadcaster, almost half of that audience, 612,000 people, watched the entire programme.

Amanda 'Blind Date' couple Amanda and Dean

We Irish just can’t resist watching a lot of people who don’t know each other being forced to kiss it seems.

That and the show boasted performances from Johnny Logan, Bonnie Tyler AND Chris de Burgh – a trifecta of power-balladry not seen this side of 1987.

“Friday night’s show was great craic and the response we have had, especially from younger viewers has been phenomenal,” says the show’s executive producer Larry Masterson.

The Valentine’s Special shows how far we have come as a country. We’re already planning to make next year’s bigger and better than ever.

The Valentine’s special was the most watched Late Late of this year, and has the third highest ratings of the current season (beaten only by the Toy Show and last October’s Country Special).

The Late Late Show / YouTube

Future Valentine’s specials may struggle to match the performance of Blind Date winner Dean however.

Read: Gerry Adams got a hell of a grilling on this man’s radio show this morning

Read: Super Valu is still the top dog of Irish supermarkets, but Dunnes is starting to fight back…

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31 Comments
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    Mute Gerry Ryan
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:13 PM

    Congrats to all and we’ll done to the crews. To all the scrotes out there who stone ambulances, think of this the next time you’re tempted. Unfortunately most of you can’t read, so this will fall on stupid ears.

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    Mute Stephen Ring
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:16 PM

    I’d imagine fighting fires would be less terrifying than the birthing process tbh. Fair play to them.

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    Mute Seamus O' Tiomain
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:15 PM

    Fair play to them, they look genuinely proud in their pictures, great job satisfaction for them and a credit to DFB

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    Mute lunadoran
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:20 PM

    Even better than the realtin……

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    Mute Philip Cavanagh
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    Sep 16th 2015, 5:56 PM

    Excellent!!

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    Mute Robert Allen
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:15 PM

    Well done lads

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:58 PM

    Well done lads but I’m waiting on the Waterford whispers exclusive “woman gives birth to own child”

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    Mute Magnus
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:13 PM

    Do all firefighters routinely get training in such matters or do they have perhaps, one or two key personnel on the team trained to deal with something like this?

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    Mute Relevent?
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:33 PM

    All DFB are qualified paramedics or advanced paramedics, great if you need to avail of them in Dublin

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    Mute Sharon Byrne
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    Sep 16th 2015, 12:35 PM

    As far as I know firefighters man the ambulances so would have paramedic training(some of them anyway). presumably it was the ambulance and therefore the paramedics/firefighters who were sent to these cases

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    Mute Al
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    Sep 16th 2015, 1:52 PM

    All DFB firefighters are trained to paramedic level, some are advanced paramedics. They rotate between fire and ambulance duties

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    Mute HRH The Brummie
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    Sep 16th 2015, 4:20 PM

    so just doing their job. HSE paramedics do this often enough without the publicity. fair play to them, but it’s their job.

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    Mute C.S
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    Sep 16th 2015, 2:22 PM

    Half a Siamese twin! Good man choppy!

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    Mute Mikeconnor
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    Sep 16th 2015, 1:06 PM

    Duffy has just cracked one off reading that!

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    Mute Fionn O' Neill
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    Sep 16th 2015, 5:27 PM

    Good man Ray!!!!

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    Mute Bleedin Rapid
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    Sep 16th 2015, 7:03 PM

    That’s the second baby by rathfarnham dfb in a few weeks!

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    Mute Martin Gallagher
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    Sep 16th 2015, 4:35 PM

    Good work DFB, always willing to protect and save those in need. Any thoughts on the economic value on this service Mr. Aaron Mc Kenna?

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    Mute Garreth Mc Mahon
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    Sep 16th 2015, 5:37 PM

    haha lenny. other blokes see your wife’s bits.

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    Mute Jacqueline McMahon
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    Sep 17th 2015, 12:04 AM

    You’re an idiot! That is all.

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