VIDEO: Cork couple's dream day brought to end by last minute legal issue

It was meant to be the best day of their lives — but a last-minute legal issue meant it ended in heartbreak.

A couple from Cork were prevented from being among the first gay couples to tie the knot in Ireland yesterday because a 24-hour notice period required under the Civil Registration Act had not elapsed.

Dolores Murphy and her partner, Mabel Stoop-Murphy, who arrived at the registry office in Cork City at noon yesterday to get married, left minutes later with their long-held dreams of the perfect wedding day in tatters.

Visibly upset, Dolores said they were heartbroken and weren’t sure what they are going to do.

“This was supposed to be the best day of our lives and as usual the Government let us down again,” she said.

The women were hoping to be among the first same-sex couples to wed under the Marriage Act 2015, which began officially recognising same-sex marriages yesterday after being signed into law last week.

Couples registering for marriage must wait three months before a ceremony can be held, but this does not apply if there is an existing civil partnership. Under the Civil Registration Act 2014, a minimum of five days’ notice of marriage has to be given. However, this can be reduced at the discretion of the local registrar. Couples must also sign a declaration of no impediment.

Dolores and Mabel, who were joined in civil partnership in 2011, complied with the five days’ notice rule, and then revoked their civil partnership in Cork’s births, deaths, and marriages office just after 9am yesterday.

They also signed the declaration of no impediment, which they thought cleared the way for the wedding ceremony.

But it was only when they arrived at the registry office at noon that senior staff told them that following advice from the General Registry Office in Roscommon, their wedding could not go ahead as planned because of an issue with the notice period linked to the declaration.

UPDATE: The couple signed the declaration this morning but say they were never made aware that 24 hrs must pass #Cork

— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) November 17, 2015

Staff told them that under section 46 1B of the Civil Registration Act, 24 hours must pass between the signing of the declaration and the actual wedding ceremony. They said they couldn’t legally recognise the marriage until the 24-hour period elapsed.

Staff apologised profusely to the couple for the late notice before the pair left in tears.

Earlier, Dolores and Mabel had spoken of their excitement ahead of the ceremony, and had given several radio interviews. Dolores said they were “so humbled” when Ireland voted in favour of same-sex marriage earlier this year.

“But I would just like to thank our families, friends, and neighbours, who have been outstanding. They never treated us as unequal. I couldn’t thank them enough,” she said.

Delores and Mabel share a joke before tying the knot in #Cork at noon #MarRef #samesexmarriage pic.twitter.com/jizxx5k2eF

— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) November 17, 2015

Dolores also said that getting married would ensure she was legally recognised as a mother to Mabel’s son, James, 2.

“I had no legal relationship with him, but when we get married I have legal recognition as his mam. It’s his day too,” she said.

“It’s the best present we could ever get coming up to Christmas.”

The couple met in Merchant’s Quay shopping centre in Cork in 2002 — Dolores was working as a security guard and Mabel, who worked in a restaurant upstairs, used to give her free soft drinks.

“It was the Coke that swung it. Love at first burp,” Dolores joked earlier.

The couple and close friends were due to enjoy a meal in Curran’s Restaurant after the ceremony.

Before the legal issue arose, staff at the restaurant said they had been inundated with phone calls of congratulations from well-wishers across the morning.

The family was whisked by taxi from the registry office yesterday and were understood last night to be considering setting a new date for their wedding.