85 same-sex marriages in Cork last year

MORE than 80 same-sex couples tied the knot in Cork in 2016.

Two years on from the marriage equality referendum, the numbers of same-sex couples saying 'I do' continues to grow in Ireland, with Cork seeing the second highest number of ceremonies.

Only Dublin surpasses the numbers seen on Leeside, according to a report issued by the Central Statistics Office.

Some 57 ceremonies were performed in Cork city, with civil marriages accounting for 54 of these.

In county areas, a further 28 ceremonies were performed, including ten civil marriages and eleven ceremonies performed by the Humanist Association of Ireland.

In the city, 31 of the ceremonies were male unions, while county areas saw more female unions, accounting for 16 of the 28 marriages.

In all, 1,056 same-sex couples were married in Ireland in 2016.

The bulk of these unions took place during the summer months, with May to September accounting for more than half the total number of ceremonies.

Jerry Buttimer, Cork senator and chair of the Fine Gael LGBT group, welcomed the news.

"It is almost two years since that great day in May when the Irish people voted for marriage equality," he said.

"I am delighted to see so many couples availing of their right to be married. Their marriages are equal to the marriages of their friends and family members, who have had that right for generations.

“Same-sex marriages accounted for almost 5% of all marriages in 2016.

There were 91 same-sex marriages in 2015 and 1,056 in 2016. It is good to see that the figure is on the increase and I hope many more gay couples will avail of the opportunity this year."

There were 21,570 heterosexual marriages in Ireland last year, 2,101 of which took place in Cork.

Religious ceremonies continue to be popular among heterosexual couples, accounting for 64.7% of those performed in Ireland.

Civil marriages are second to this, accounting for 25.9% of ceremonies.

The average age of heterosexual couples continues to rise, too. In 1966, the average groom was 29 years old. In 2016, he was 35.7.

For brides, the average age has increased from 25.7 in 1966 to 33.8 in 2016.