THOUSANDS OF couples are opting to shun religious weddings in favour of civil ceremonies, new figures show.
The proportion of civil marriages has increased dramatically from just 6 per cent (or 928) of all marriages in 1996 to just over 23 per cent (or 5,127) in 2006, according to latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures.
In Dublin, civil ceremonies accounted for some 42 per cent of all marriages in 2006, the highest figure in the State. By contrast, they accounted for just over 10 per cent of marriages in counties such as Donegal and Monaghan.
During this same period, the proportion of religious ceremonies has fallen significantly.
For example, the number of Roman Catholic marriage ceremonies accounted for 90 per cent of all marriages in 1996, falling to 73 per cent in 2006.
The popularity of civil ceremonies is likely to grow further over the coming years as a result of legislation introduced recently which has allowed “off-site” civil marriages in venues such as hotels, castles and country houses.
Officials in the Health Service Executive – which is responsible for authorising off-site marriages – say the numbers opting to marry in hotels or other venues is growing, as many registry offices can only accommodate relatively small numbers.
If current trends continue, the number of civil ceremonies may overtake religious marriages by 2012.
As well as geographic differences, couples who had civil ceremonies in 2006 were likely to be older than those who had religious ceremonies. The average age of the groom in a civil wedding was 36, compared with the overall average of 32.
Similarly, the average age for the bride was 34, almost three years older than the overall average of 31.
As a result, civil ceremonies were the most popular form of wedding ceremony for men over 45 and women over 40 during 2006.
Just over 65 per cent of marriage ceremonies where the bride was aged over 40 were civil ceremonies. The comparable figure for men aged over 45 was 55 per cent.
Civil ceremonies were most popular in urban areas such as Dublin, Limerick (39 per cent), Galway (34 per cent), Wicklow (33 per cent) and Cork (31 per cent).
In contrast, couples were less likely to have civil ceremonies in more rural areas. The lowest figures were recorded in counties across the north and northwest such as Donegal, Mayo and Monaghan (between 10 and 12 per cent).
People are marrying at an older age. The average age for grooms was 33 in 2006, compared to 30 in 1996. The average age for brides increased to 31, up from 28 in 1996.
The groom was older than the bride in most ceremonies (65 per cent). In 2006, 92 per cent of grooms and 93 per cent of brides were marrying for the first time. In 1996, when divorce was not legalised, 99 per cent of grooms and brides were marrying for the first time.