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Midlands Accounts For 20% Of Marriages In Ireland Last Year

Tuesday, 28 April 2020 15:57

By Ellen Butler

Westmeath had the highest number of people tying the knot.

1,000 marriages took place in the midlands last year.

That's 20 per cent of the national total, and over 50 more than in 2018.

Marriage was particularly in the air in Westmeath, leading with 378 marriage ceremonies last year.

That's followed by 308 in Laois, and 299 in Offaly - according to the Central Statistics Office.

There were 985 OPPOSITE-sex marriages in the midlands in 2019.

Catholic ceremonies are falling with 566, compared to 696 the previous year.

The number of same-sex marriages also dropped - there were 12 in Westmeath, three in Offaly, and none held in Laois.

Nationally, there were over 20 thousand marriages last year - over 30 per cent of which were same-sex couples.

The average bride now waits till 37 to walk down the aisle, while average groom is 38.

But with coronavirus taking hold, it looks like marriage figures will plummet in 2020.

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