City Hall free to host civil marriages

CORK’S city manager has opened the door to hosting civil marriages in City Hall.

Joe Gavin said city officials would consider on their merits any requests from couples wishing to hold their civil ceremony in the historic building.

But he stopped short of discussing whether other public buildings would be considered as possible locations for such ceremonies.

From next month, Irish couples will no longer be restricted to church or registry office locations for their marriage ceremony.

The marriage provisions of the Civil Registrations Act, 2004, will replace current marriage legislation on November 5.

The change will pave the way for civil marriages to be held at venues other than a registry office, provided the public venue has been inspected and cleared by the Health Service Executive.

Couples will have to secure the permission of the owner of their chosen venue, notify the registry office up to three months in advance and organise for a registrar to attend and solemnise their marriage at the venue on the day.

In a vague reference to City Hall’s vast concert hall, Mr Gavin said if it was free on the requested day, and if the appropriate fee was paid, city officials would facilitate any couple’s request for its use as a wedding venue.

However, he would not be drawn further on whether couples could use other areas in City Hall like the council chambers or Millennium Hall.

Labour Cllr Catherine Clancy, who has led a two-year campaign to open public venues for civil weddings, welcomed the statement. But she said city officials need to examine the issue in more detail.

“We need to thrash out the details and identify specific locations in specific public buildings, and set up a booking and affordable pricing system for people,” she said.

The council chamber in City Hall, the former Lord Mayor’s Pavilion and tea room in Fitzgerald’s Park, which is currently used as office space, and the Vision Centre, would be ideal, she said.

There were about 600 civil marriages in Cork last year — about a quarter of the total number of weddings in the city and county.

The city’s registry office is open Mondays to Fridays only, with Mondays, Thursday and Fridays the most popular days for marriages.