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Swing State: Soft Entry

October 27, 2026 · 33 min

Show notes

Have you ever thought about how people actually find their way into Ireland’s swinging scene? In the series opener of Swing State, we start at the door.

My week-long experiment on Fab Swingers reveals a dramatic gender gap in attention. Origin stories from real-life swingers range from chance kitchen conversations and post-breakup curiosity to couples in long relationships deciding to explore together or trying to fix their marriage. Journalist Aoife Moore defines what swinging actually means in an Irish context, while people already inside share the gap between what they expected (alternative looks, pure porn, key parties) and what they found: ordinary people of all ages, strict-ish rules, and a lot more talking than outsiders in the 'vanilla world' assume.

First nights, first nerves, filters, free single women, and the quiet machinery that keeps the scene ticking over. Curiosity, apps, and a delivery of veg. This is how you get in.

To hear episode two of the series now become a member of HeadStuff+ to access early episodes of Swing State, bonus episodes and ad free listening. Just go to https://headstuffpodcasts.com/show/the-dating-orange/

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All episodes of The Dating Orange

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