Church Weddings 

Legal Requirements 

Until recently couples intending to marry in Ireland had to give three months notice of their intention to marry in writing to their local registrar, however new requirements of the Civil Registration Act, 2004 came into effect on November 5th 2007 and this requires all couples to give three months notice of their intention to marry to any civil registrar in person. 

The couple must contact the registrar's office to make an appointment. 

The General Register Office is located at Government Offices, Convent Road, Roscommon, Tel: +353 (0) 90 6632900 or LoCall: 1890 252076. 

www.gettingmarried.ie is a really useful site outlining requirements 

Church Requirements 

All couples intending to marry in a Catholic Church must give a minimum of three months notice to their priest and complete a Pre Nuptial Enquiry Form. 

You will need to arrange a meeting with your local parish priests. 

The priest will require the following documentation 

1. A recently issued copy of your Baptismal Certificate 

2. A recently issued copy of your Confirmation Certificate 

3. A Letter of Freedom from each parish you have lived in since you were 18. 

The purpose of this meeting is to confirm you are a full member of the Church, and that there is no record of you having been married previously in Church. 

The priest will also be able to advise you if your circumstance are complicated for example if either party is widowed or if either party is non-Catholic. 

Marriage Preparation Courses 

All couples intending to marry in a Catholic Church must attend a marriage preparation course prior to taking the wedding vows 

For more information check out the following websites: 

Accord www.accord.ie

CatholicIreland.net www.catholicireland.net