149 Trans People Have Their Gender Officially Recognised by Ireland

IN THE FIRST nine months since new legislation was introduced, 149 people have been granted permission to legally register as a different gender from that noted at their birth.

Of the 149 gender recognition certificates issued, four were granted to applicants who were aged 16 and 17 years old. Twenty-one were issued to non-Irish born residents of the State.

One hundred people subsequently requested a new birth certificate to change the record of their gender at birth. This was done thro

ugh the Register of Gender Recognition maintained by the General Register Office.

A total of 18 passports were issued to people who have received the recognition certs. Three of those were to people under the age of 18.


The figures were published by the Department of Social Protection today and cover the period from 4 September 2015 to 30 June 2016.

The 2015 laws allow for a person to be formally recognised in their preferred gender. There have been no applications rejected since the commencement of the Act, and no certificates have been revoked.

According to the department, “There has been very positive feedback from clients in respect of the timely and professional manner in which applications have been dealt with since the commencement of the Act.”

The need to introduce legislation stemmed from a High Court order in March 2008 which declared that certain sections of the Civil Registration Act 2004 were incompatible with Ireland’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Today is being marked by the transgender community across the world as International Transgender Day of Remembrance. The day was set aside to remember those who have died as a result of hatred or prejudice, its organisers say.

Source: The Journal.ie

Irish Passport Applications from Britain Have Doubled Over Past Two months

The number of Irish passport applications from people living in Britain has more than doubled in the past two months since the Brexit vote.

New figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin show that number of applications in August and September rose by more than 100 per cent on the previous year.

In September 2015 there were 3,431 Irish passport applications received from Great Britain compared to 7,518 from the same month this year - a rise of almost 120 per cent.

Applications from Northern Ireland have increased by two thirds since the UK voted to leave the European Union in June's landmark vote.

In August there was an almost 80 per cent increase in the number of applications from 2015, while last month there were 4,126 applications made, compared to 2,549 in September 2015, an increase of more than 60 per cent.

Since the Brexit vote on June 23 there has been a steady rise in demand for Irish passports.

In the immediate aftermath post offices across the north reported a surge of interest, with some branches even running out of forms due to unprecedented demand.

The Irish News reported in July how the high level of demand had affected the operation of Northern Ireland’s General Register Office, which handles the documents for all births, deaths and marriages.

Research work at the Belfast office was restricted in the weeks following the referendum as the need for birth certificates from people applying for Irish passports soared.

As part of the Good Friday Agreement everyone in Northern Ireland is entitled to both British and Irish citizenship.

Source: Gareth McKeown, The Irish News

Some Interesting Registers Held by GRO in Roscommon......

In 2004 Birth Death and Marriage Records in Ireland were all scanned onto a national computer system for access at any local Civil Registraion Office.

However there are some Registers that were not scanned on and they are held at The General Register Office, (Oifig an Ard-Chláraitheora), located at Government Offices, Convent Road, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon. 

In addition to the records maintained at the Family Research Facility in the Werburgh Street, Dublin 2 indexes to the following Registers of life events are maintained solely at Roscommon.

These include:

• Births at Sea of children, one of whose parents was born on the island of Ireland between 1st January, 1864 and 31st December, 1921. Births at Sea of Children, one of whose parents was born in Ireland after 1921.
• Deaths at Sea of persons born on the island of Ireland between 1st January, 1864 and 31st December, 1921 and of persons born in Ireland after 1921.
• Births of children of Irish parents, certified by British Consuls abroad, between 1st January, 1864 and 31st December, 1921.
• Deaths of Irish-born persons, certified by British Consuls abroad, between 1st January, 1864 and 31st December, 1921.
• Marriages celebrated in Dublin by the late Rev. J F G Schulze, Minister of the German Protestant Church, Poolbeg Street , Dublin , from 1806 to 1837 inclusive.
• Births, Deaths and Marriages registered pursuant to the provisions of the (Army) Act, 1879.
• Births and Deaths registered pursuant to the provisions of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960.
• Certain births and deaths occurring outside the State (Pursuant to the provisions of The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1972, Sec. 4).
• Certain Lourdes Marriages (Pursuant to the provisions of the Marriages Act, 1972, Sec.2).
• Stillbirths registered in Ireland from 1st January 1995 (certified copies available to parents only).
• Deaths of Irish officers and enlisted persons killed in action or who died while serving abroad in The Great War (WW1) 1914 - 1919.
• Death returns relating to the South African War (1899 – 1902) in so far as they relate to Irish subjects.

Irish Government Set to Finally Ban Forced marriages

Forced marriages are to be outlawed in Ireland under legislative proposals being brought before the Cabinet today

The new law will criminalise a practice prevalent in certain cultures and is one of a raft of measures being proposed by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald as part of an overhaul of domestic-violence legislation.

It will make it an offence to force a person to marry where they do not consent to it or where consent is given under duress, either though emotional, physical, sexual or financial pressure.

The proposed offence will also cover situations where an adult or a child is removed or lured from Ireland to another territory for the purpose of forcing them to enter into a marriage.

The move comes two years after a similar law was introduced in the UK, which brought in a sentence of up to seven years for the offence.

Penalties there can be even higher where there are aggravating factors. A Cardiff man ended up being jailed for 16 years for forcing a Muslim woman to marry him. The case involved considerable harassment and rape.

Consultations are ongoing between the Department of Justice and the Attorney General on the penalties which will apply here.

Officials said there was limited information on the scale of the problem in Ireland as, by its very nature, forced marriage is a very hidden practice.

Subject to Cabinet approval, the new domestic violence bill is expected to be published in the next two months.

If passed, the bill would bring Ireland in line with the Istanbul Convention, a Council of Europe anti-domestic violence convention agreed in 2011, but which Ireland only signed up to last year.

As well as the forced marriage provisions, the bill is also set to include the introduction of civil protection orders.

In other jurisdictions where such orders are used, they can go further than traditional restraining orders and impose certain additional obligations on the alleged abuser.

The proposed legislation will include provisions which mean a victim will not have to have a greater or equal interest in a property to get a barring order against their partner or spouse.

It will also become possible for a victim to give evidence by video link to avoid the risk of intimidation by the perpetrator or an associate in a courtroom.

Courts will be able to appoint an expert to ascertain the views of a child where an order is sought on behalf of, or will partly relate to, the child.

There will also be restrictions on the categories of person allowed to be in court during criminal proceedings relating to domestic violence, so that the victim will not have to give evidence, potentially of a distressing nature, before a large number of strangers.

Courts handling domestic violence cases will also be able to refer a perpetrator to counselling services to address the roots of their behaviour.

SOURCE: Shane Phelan - Irish Independent

St Stephen's Green Park Dublin - Opened to the Public 27 July 1870

DIY Weddings & Humanist Ceremonies Are All the Rage

Humanist ceremonies, DIY receptions and literally 'tying the knot' are the big trends in Irish marriages, as the high season for weddings approaches.

While CSO statistics note the number of marriages in Ireland remained relatively stable last year, the most striking change was the number of humanist weddings taking place here.

Statistician Caroline Hennessy said humanist ceremonies jumped from 822 in 2014 to 1,294 in 2015.

"Over 1,000 couples got married for the first time in a humanist ceremony in 2015," she told the Irish Independent.

The non-religious ceremonies were first legally recognised in Ireland in 2013.

Prospective brides and grooms are also taking their time before walking down the aisle.

The average age of grooms in 2015 was around 35, while the average age of a bride reached an all-time high of 33.

Some 22,025 marriages were recorded in Ireland in 2015, just 20 less than in 2014.

August remained the most popular month for marriages in 2015, while Fridays and Saturdays were the most popular days of the week.

Around 57pc of those marriages were Roman Catholic ceremonies, staying relatively in line with previous years.

However, the Archdiocese of Dublin saw a fall-off of ceremonies from 2,217 in 2014 to 1,972 in 2015.

Ms Hennessy said figures on the marriage register have remained almost the same since the 19th century. But there have been some adjustments as recently as 2014, with the addition of both same-sex marriages and humanist ceremonies.

"Next year, we will record same-sex marriages with heterosexual marriages," she said, adding that 92 same-sex marriages had been counted in 2015.

Siobhan Walls, a Dublin-based humanist celebrant, has been officiating weddings all over Ireland since 2014.

"I'm booked out from April to September next year," she said. "I have people looking for weddings in 2018 already."

As part of her duties as a celebrant, Siobhan liaises with the couple in planning each detail of the ceremony, and its running order.

"It's non-religious, but each ceremony has elements like readings, music and rituals."

Tasteful

While 'DIY weddings' are rising in popularity, wedding planners remain in demand.

Collette O'Leary of Elegant Engagements says she is already taking bookings for 2020.

While she notes weddings have become more tasteful since the recession, she says DIY wedding trends are on the way out. "I won't miss the craze for vintage bicycles and Dolmio jam jars," she said.

"The one thing I don't want is for the bride to be up all night wrapping ornaments before her wedding, and then being completely exhausted."

However, she believes that years of thrift have toned down the "vulgar spending" once associated with Celtic Tiger-era weddings.

She has noticed an increase in new ceremonial trends, such as unity candles and hand-fasting, a Celtic tradition where the couple's hands are tied together.

Ms O'Leary also pointed out the popularity of "ring-warming", a Russian tradition that has appeared at Irish weddings. "The bride and groom pass around the rings to each group of family and friends, and every guest takes the ring and makes a wish for the couple. It's a really beautiful ritual," she said.

The same-sex marriage referendum has also boosted the wedding industry.

Marian Purcell, who has run the Gay Weddings Ireland website for a number of years, said she was "most definitely" busier after the May 2015 vote.

One huge trend Ms Purcell has seen is an increasing number of same-sex couples travelling to Ireland for their nuptials.

"We have a lot of American couples coming over with about 70 guests," she told the Irish Independent. "These are massive weddings, with all of the family coming as well."

Ms Purcell is set to host a same-sex marriage wedding event at the Crown Plaza in Blanchardstown, Dublin, on August 14.

"We expect about 50 equality vendors, and close to 400 attendees," she said.

SOURCE :  Jane O'Flaherty, Irish Independent

Evelyn Hofer's photographs of Dublin in the 1960's

Below are some photographs of Dublin in the 1960's taken by the German-American photographer Evelyn Hofer.

They appeared in ‘Dublin: A Portrait’ by V. S. Pritchett, a renowned travel writer and short story writer who visited Ireland in the 1960's and met with Sean O'Casey and WB Yeats during which Yeats brandished a tea pot in a rage about Shaw.

For more info on Evelyn Hofer see here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Hofer

For more info on VS Pritchett:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._S._Pritchett

There are no gay people in County Clare..........

 

Only one Irish county did not have a gay marriage since vote

Total of 412 same-sex marriages registered since May 2015

 

A total of 412 same-sex couples across the State have married since 1.2 million Irish people voted in favour of same-sex marriage a year ago.

 

This weekend exactly one year ago, on May 22nd 2015, Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce same-sex marriage by popular vote with 62 per cent voting in its favour.

 

Statistics released by the Department of Social Protection ahead of the anniversary of the referendum show that 412 same-sex marriages have been registered in the past year.

 

The vast majority of these ceremonies took place in the capital with 213 marriages registered in Co Dublin over the past year. There were 43 same-sex marriages in Co Cork, followed by 25 in Co Limerick, 17 in Co Wicklow and 14 in Co Galway.

 

The lowest number of registered same-sex marriages took place in Carlow, Leitrim and Monaghan with only one marriage in each county

 

There were no same-sex marriages registered in Co Clare last year.

 

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar welcomed the high figures of same-sex couples who had chosen to get married over the last year and described the referendum as “a historic day for Ireland”.

 

“One year on, it’s really great to see that 412 marriages have now taken place which otherwise would not have happened,” said Mr Varadkar. “It’s a timely reminder of that momentous vote on that momentous day.”

 

There were also a total of 966 same-sex marriage notifications received over the past 12 months. The highest number came from Dublin with 475 notifications, followed by 86 notifications in Cork and 50 in Limerick.

 

The Marriage Act 2015 came into effect in November 2015, six months after the referendum took place. The signing of the order gave effect to the referendum which approved marriage being available to same-sex couples.

 

While homosexual couples intending to marry must give three months’ notice – in the same way as opposite-sex couples must – a fast-track civil partnership provision applies under the Marriage Bill 2015.

 

According data released by the Central Statistics Office in April, there were 376 civil partnerships last year, 250 male and 126 female. Over three quarters of these (294) were of couples living in Leinster, with over half (248) living in Dublin. There were no civil partnerships in Carlow, North Tipperary, Leitrim, Roscommon, Cavan or Monaghan

 

In total, 1,201,607 people voted in favour of same-sex marriage last year with 734,300 against, giving a majority of 467,307. Roscommon-South Leitrim was the only constituency to reject the amendment.

 

The resounding Yes vote resulted in a new sentence being added to Article 41 of the Constitution. It reads: “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.”

 

SOURCE

Sorcha Pollak, THE IRISH TIMES

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/only-one-irish-county-did-not-have-a-gay-marriage-since-vote-1.2654751

 

This article states the number of same sex marriages since May 2015 but actually same sex marriages could only take place from late November 2015 when the legislation was enacted

 

Ireland's increase in Marriages of Convenience....

During the recession, Ireland rather incredibly became a destination point for those seeking to enter in marriages of convenience with "brides" been flown in from Eastern European countries and in later years from Portugal....see below RTE's recent coverage of the trend.....

Court hears of increase in number of suspected 'marriages of convenience'

A court in Mayo has heard how a dramatic increase in the number of suspected marriages of convenience prompted an investigation by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

Giving evidence before Castlebar District Court today, Detective Brendan Ó'Somacháin said there had been a huge increase in the number of marriage notifications involving EU and non-EU nationals in recent years.

He said the purpose of these unions was to obtain EU Treaty rights based on marriage to a citizen of the European Union.

There were 3,200 such notifications in 2014 and 7,000 last year.

Detective Ó'Somacháin said a tightening of restrictions in the UK had contributed to the increase here. He said many people were travelling by ferry from Britain to Northern Ireland and then crossing the border into the Republic.

He told the court that many of the arranged marriages involved people originally from the Indian subcontinent.

The number of Pakistani nationals getting married here rose from 91 in 2013 to 973 in the first eight months of 2015.

He was giving evidence in proceedings against Nadia Mir, of Bracklaghboy, Knockroe, Ballyhaunis. She is charged with breaches of the 2004 Civil Registration Act and with providing false or misleading information under the terms of the 1996 Refugee Act.

She was remanded on continuing bail to appear before the District Court in September.

SOURCE: RTE
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0517/789033-court-marriages-of-convenience/#

The rise of the midweek bride: Why Irish couples are choosing to wed outside traditional dates

Rose Fletcher always had happy memories of holidaying in Donegal.

Her childhood summers had been spent full of beaches, bird watching and boating in Killybegs and, when she introduced her boyfriend to the 'Beg on one of their first trips together, he fell in love with it too.

So when it came to organising their wedding, the couple were in no doubt as to where they wanted to have their big day, the only question was when.
 

"We had a venue very specific to us but all the Saturdays in the summer were booked," explains Rose (34). "Also we're both teachers and there were a limited number of dates that we could get married on and then have a two-week honeymoon. So we ended up picking a Monday.

"It was the end of a weekend and, since the wedding was in the Donegal countryside, we thought people might make a trip of it."
 

The idea of a Monday wedding might sound unconventional, but new data shows that thousands of Irish couples are now opting for a midweek wedding rather than the traditional Saturday do. New research by the wedding site Hitched.ie shows that in 2015, 5,495 couples married on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, with an additional 1,089 tying the knot on a Sunday.

The figures show a steady increase in midweek weddings of about 2pc year on year since 2012.

Interestingly, in the UK, the wedding website found that Thursday weddings had seen the biggest leap whereas in Ireland it's Fridays that are experiencing a surge, with bookings up 14pc.

The findings are backed by another Irish wedding website, Mrs2Be, which reckons 28pc of couples now get hitched midweek, with Friday now the nation's favourite wedding day, accounting for 37pc of bookings compared to 34pc tying the knot on a Saturday.

At the popular Tankardstown County House Hotel near Slane in Co Meath, they've seen a midweek weddings increase by 22pc since 2014.
 

"We've seen a steady increase in the number of weddings for midweek and indeed some on a Sunday, not just in the summer season but right throughout the year," reveals Helen Byrne, sales and marketing manager at Tankardstown.

"Not only venues but wedding suppliers alike are always seeking to improve business midweek and so usually put deals in place to attract couples towards the less popular days, like a Tuesday for instance," she explains.
 

"This can create savings of up to 40pc for the entire day out, which could be the difference in having the day of their dreams - with all the elements they desire - without the compromise, particularly if there is a budget in place."

Typically many venues tend to offer a 10pc discount for midweek events or around €10 less per head - putting the savings into the €1,000s for some wedding receptions - but there's an additional financial incentive with photographers, bands, cars and extras all likely to agree better rates outside high-demand Saturdays.
 

So far this year one third of the 93 weddings booked at the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in Co Down are midweek, Sunday to Thursday, dates.

"People seem to be willing to take time off during the week rather than viewing a weekend as their only option and certainly we've found that the day of the week makes absolutely no difference to the atmosphere," says Laura Hanna, head of events.
 

Caroline Hendry, editor of Hitched.ie, has seen more discussion online about non-Saturday dos and, when she gets married in six weeks, it'll be on a Friday.

"Saturday weddings not only come with a premium price tag, they are also the first dates to be booked up," she explains. "I experienced this first hand when my fiancé and I found the perfect venue 18 months before our desired wedding month and all the Saturdays in that month (May 2016) were fully booked.
 

"After a lot of deliberation we chose to book our wedding on a Friday," she says. "If you've your heart set on a certain venue or month then sometimes you need to make that compromise to get the special day you've envisioned."
 

Several large venues have a minimum capacity for weekend receptions - so those opting for a smaller celebration have no choice but to plump for a weekday date. Then there's the current trend for celebrations that last several days, with couples picking a venue as a 'destination wedding' with the intention that guests will enjoy a holiday around the ceremony.

Caroline adds: "I actually don't know what the price difference was having it on a Monday as we never asked - price really wasn't the reason for doing it."
 

Plenty of people now work more erratic hours, meaning weekends aren't necessarily the guaranteed day off they were in years gone by. And the changing nature of wedding ceremonies has also had an impact on what day couples book.
 

"Midweek weddings are on the rise naturally due to the increase in civil ceremonies which can only take place midweek," says Sophie Pigott, marketing director at weddingsonline.

Research conducted by the website recently found that civil ceremonies accounted for 18pc of weddings last year, up 6pc on the previous year.

But couples still have concerns about opting for a non-Saturday celebration. "The biggest fear is that guests won't make it to the wedding if it is a midweek date," says Helen at Tankardstown. "We like to reassure our couples that with adequate notice their nearest and dearest friends and family will of course want to share their special day with them, so won't think anything of booking a day off work."

 

That's the hope, but it's not always the case. It's not an issue a lot of people want to talk about - perhaps for fear of offending friends or looking miserly - but the outpouring of ire online would suggest that not everyone is okay with taking time off to attend a weekday wedding.

"If I was invited to a wedding on a Monday I would assume that the couple were trying to keep numbers down and wanted people to decline so I wouldn't go unless it was a very close friend or family member," writes one person on a popular wedding discussion forum.
 

"I would kind of resent having to take the two days off and would also worry that a Monday wedding wouldn't be good craic."
 

"Personally, I think it's pretty selfish when people have a big wedding midweek," adds another. "I hate the phrase 'people who want to be there will turn up', I think it's extremely self-centred and selfish to say things like that. You must feel you're very important that you expect people to use their annual leave on your wedding."

Among the top concerns among midweek wedding guests are having to use up precious holiday time, people whose employers would only let them book leave in week-long segments, concerns about the dance floor emptying earlier, and battling a hangover in the office the following day.
 

Rose says she was fully prepared for the fact that some people might not have been prepared to attend their Monday nuptials. "Obviously if people couldn't make it we didn't mind at all," she says. "But that would have been the same if it had been a Saturday, sometimes the date just doesn't suit.
 

"As it turned out though pretty much everyone we invited was there and we had a brilliant day and danced into the night. It was our perfect wedding with the people we loved in the venue we wanted - it really didn't matter what day it was on."

Pennywise: What savings can be made if you marry midweek?

We checked out some of the top wedding venues around the country to see how prices compare for their entry-level wedding packages* between weekend weddings and midweek weddings.

LEINSTER

Tankardstown House and Orangery

(tankardstown.ie)

Wedded bliss package

Weekend (Friday and Saturday): €125 per person

Midweek: €100

Bright Beginnings

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (January, February, March and November only): €89 per person

MUNSTER

Fota Island Hotel and Spa (fotaisland.ie)

Weekend: starting at €79pp

Midweek: Potentially a 10pc discount or the resort is due to launch a specific all inclusive mid-week package (including flowers, photos, cake and band) for around €75pp

CONNACHT

Clayton Hotel (claytonhotelgalway.ie)

Everything You Need Package

Weekend: from €43.50pp

midweek: 10pc discount

*Includes venue hire, pre-dinner reception and a three or four-course meal. Some venues also include additional extras see the venue websites for more details)

ULSTER

The Slieve Donard Resort and Spa

(hastingshotels.com)

The Bronze wedding package

Weekend (Friday and Saturday): £74 per person

Midweek (Sunday to Thursday): £63 per person

Winter (valid Monday to Sunday October to March): £63

SOURCE
Chrissie Russell, IRISH INDEPENDENT
http://www.independent.ie/style/weddings/the-rise-of-the-midweek-bride-why-couples-are-choosing-to-wed-outside-traditional-dates-34641362.html

Article on Ireland's Marriage Figures since Marriage Equality was Introduced in November 2015

Below is an interesting little article on marriage in Ireland since marriage equality was introduced in Ireland in November 2015. Its worth noting that the 91 same sex marriages occurred in the 8 or so remaining weeks of 2015 after marriage equality was introduced on the 18 November 2015 in the Republic of Ireland.

Also most gay people in Ireland choose to live in  a city which tend to be more tolerant environments for diversity.....

Urban/rural divide as 91 gay couples tie the knot

More than 460 same-sex couples married or entered a civil partnership last year on the back of the yes vote in the marriage equality referendum.

New figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show there were 91 same-sex marriages last year.

This includes 47 male couples and 44 female couples.
 

Legislation allowing gay and lesbian couples to tie the knot came into affect in mid- November last year.

A further 250 male couples opted into a civil partnership, while another 126 female couples also entered unions.
 

However, there is a clear rural divide in the figures.

Two-thirds of same sex couples who entered a civil partnership last year are from Dublin, with 78.2pc of LGBT couples residing in Leinster.
 

Kildare, Meath and Wicklow accounted for a total of 25 of all civil partnerships among gay and lesbian couples last year.

The only constituency to return a no vote in the marriage equality referendum was Roscommon/South Leitrim. No civil partnerships were registered in counties Leitrim or Roscommon last year.
 

Carlow, North Tipperary, Cavan and Monaghan also saw no civil partnerships registered there.

Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) co-chairperson Kieran Rose said the figures did not represent the actual level of support for gay marriage.
 

"The disparity in the figures may be just a reflection on where people are living. There are far more people living in Dublin and Cork than other places.

"People who are supportive of lesbians and gay men are there in every county in Ireland.

"One of the fantastic things about the referendum was that it was passed in all counties, except Roscommon/South Leitrim.

"There were yes campaigns in all counties and there was no urban rural divide."

The figures also show a continuing trend of people getting married older in life.

The average age of brides and grooms has increased by more than nine years since 1977.

Men getting married in 2015 were an average of 35.3 years old, compared to 26.2 years in 1977.

The average age for women getting married last year was 33.2 years, compared to 24 in 1977.

More than six out of 10 (63.1pc) grooms were older than their brides.

There were 22,025 marriages registered last year, just 20 fewer than in 2014.
 

Traditional religious ceremonies still account for the highest proportion of marriages in the state.

More than half (56.7pc) of the ceremonies in 2015 were catholic services, while the Church of Ireland accounted for 1.8pc of ceremonies.

Civil services accounted for 6,156 (28pc) of all marriages.
 

For the fourth year in a row, August is the most popular month to get married in with 26.5pc of all weddings last year in either July or August.

 

Source: Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/urbanrural-divide-as-91-gay-couples-tie-the-knot-34632372.html

DUBLIN from the last century.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope 2016 is a great year for you all.