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THE AVERAGE AGE of brides and grooms is continuing to rise according to figures from the Central Statistics Office which show an increase in the ages of couples getting married in 2010.
The average age of grooms in 2010 was 34.1 years, a slight increase on the average age in 2009. In the past fifty years, the average age of grooms has decreased from 30.9 in 1960 to a low of 26.2 in 1977 and has increased to a high of 34.1 years in 2010.
A similar trend is evident for brides with the average age decreasing from 27.1 in 1960 to 24.0 in 1977 and has increased to a high of 32.0 in 2010.
The number of marriages registered in 2010 was 20,594, which equates to a crude marriage rate of 4.5 per 1,000 of the population. This compares with a total of 21,627 marriages and a rate of 4.8 per thousand of the population in 2009. The 2010 rate was the lowest in the state since 1998 when the recorded rate was 4.5 per 1,000 of the population.
Other figures include:
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i’m 28 and have no intention of getting married soon as much as i see people rushing into it in their 20′s. I believe in still being care free. I’m in no rush ill get married when it feels right whether it’s 34 or 54!
Good for you Eric. Far too many good men getting caught-out early in life!. Only lads in their late 30′s should start thinking about getting ball & chained.
@Eric, you can’t be happy all your life.
@Frank haha i’ll try my best!
Slap’stick, do you really think the only reason men marry is because they’re “caught out”? Seriously? If so I have to inform you that that’s not the case and if you’re that unhappy you should look at seperation. A lot of people joke about marriage as an endurance trial. That just makes the people in genuinely unhappy marriages assume all marriages are like that and stay there, miserable, when they needn’t.
LOL.You think people in unhappy marriages really believe that?
If they do the reason they are unhappy is because they are thick and possibly married to a lamp post.
Sorry Aoife, I can’t agree with you there.
@ Aoife
Ahhh 7 years.
When I was married 7 years i was a bit concerned about the old itch and, you know, you need to work to maintain that spark in the relationship and the Internet is wonderful source of advice. I mean the relationship forums. So anyway one evening I suggested tentatively that perhaps we should maybe try some different positions and she said fine, good idea, You stand by the sink and do the dishes and I’ll lie on the couch and fart
When the gay marriage comes in that will change!!
How? Heteros will continue to marry and divorce each other as they please. Marriage equality won’t chance that….
*change
Headline is marriage rates fall, I assume ted is saying allowing gay people to marry will mean increase in overall marriage rates. Nothing else.
@ted
This was your chance to have a little word with Michelle over the whole marriage thing and you blew it. Are u still a little bit upset over the whole comment removal thing??
The more gay men taken off the market better because statistically it increases my chances with Michelle. Keep reaching for that rainbow, lads
Michelle is so beautiful.
Unfortunately In Ireland ,currently,it is still technically civil partnership ,by definition and this is why its not included in these stats .Disappointing tho …….
If this keeps up we could see the first cause of heras meant through comment pages
You assume
Im married 7 years this year and was 23 when I got married. Have lovely 4 year old and 5 month old and a loving husband. Wouldn’t do it and differently.
Complete waste of money. Two people don’t need a piece of paper to stay together forever. Problem is with marriage when it goes per shaped you have all these strangers deciding who gets what!!! How strange and murky. Some of the happiest families i know the parents are not married.
And how is life in your Trailer Park?
The big problem with that is if the woman leaves wtih the kids, the man has little to no rights.
Also if one dies the other has little to no rights (unless a will is made).
I was happily in a 10 year committed loving relationship with my husband before we got married. I dont believe that the big showy day out means that you love someone more. The main reason that we got married was to give my husband legal rights over our son. You can write a will if your not married but legally it means nothing.
What is a “crude marriage rate”? What is a “crude marriage”?
Gimp mask instead of a veil
If you ask my wife it’s been married to me.
I like it clothesline !! :)
A gimp mask and a nice semi.
Crudely wedded bliss….
Marry me hoop. All fun and games until the spouse fancies a change in the bedroom, but decides she’ll hang onto the gaff, the car and half your income.
If a woman truly loves a man she won’t ask him to write her a blank cheque for life. Outdated institution anyway.
Yeah and girls wanting a 10,000 euro ring when there is much better uses for that sort if money. A girl and a guy with a good head on there shoulders know a small get together of friends and family is all you need not wasting 10′s of 1,000′s in something that the girl wants , true love is having a happy family.
Shows the need for a Married Mothers Allowance to stabilise society again.
If you are male and you are wealthy or expecting a big inheritance you must have stones in your head to get married with todays court systems. If she really loves you she will understand why you cant get married to her. If she doesn’t understand then go find yourself another bird.
Ummm – so the conversation would be along the lines of – if you really love me you’ll understand that I can’t marry you because I’m very wealthy and I don’t trust you as I think if I do marry you once the ring is on the finger you will run off with my vast wealth. Yep, I’m sure she’ll understand. What a great relationship.
Well isn’t that essentially what a prenuptial agreement is? Except the courts dont abide to it. If she genuinely loves you as the person why should that piece of paper which essentially gives her half your wealth matter to her? Also remember that it doesnt work the other way around. Courts dont give husbands half of wives wealth. Then again if you are both broke then it makes sense to marry to avail of the tax benefits and pooling money together to buy property.
Find yourself another bird? Do you mean a crow instead of a magpie mypolitics1?
Your choice really, which ever blows your hair back.
Its not about money – its about being expected to marry someone who doesn’t trust you. Wealth is not something I look for in a guy. If I fell for and wanted to marry a guy who was wealthy I would be incredibly insulted that he thought so little of me that he wanted to safe guard against me screwing him over and also against our marriage ending before it even began!!! I wouldn’t marry a guy who had such a low opinion of me as that.
You might be less romantic about it if the knife was at your throat instead of his, CABK
The fact that you see it as a knife at the guys throat pretty much sums up my point!
The fact you don’t sums up mine. Blissful ignorance of a threat you’ll never face
What is this’ threat’ and ‘knife’ you are so worried about it? If it is honestly that the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with is only after your money, you either don’t trust the person, don’t love the person or are wracking with insecurities and low self esteem issues as you believe she won’t stay with you and work on your relationship. My point is all three of the above give a girl a very good reason not to marry said guy.
The knife was figurative
The threat was amply outlined by others. A married man is now in a position whereby his wife can simply order him out of his house and demand payment for the rest of her life any time she wants. It happens to men every day, and if it happened to women there’d be vigils to bring it to an end. Instead we get moralising about true love from someone who doesn’t have to worry about it
Plenty of women out there who are the wealthier half of the couple, be it through inheritance or earnings. What’s your advice for them my politics and chuck? I’m sure they’re dying to hear it
It would be great if you wouldn’t tar all women with the same brush. I make more than enough to look after myself. I have no intention of taking advantage of a man for his wealth, therefore I would expect at least the courtesy from him that he wouldn’t accuse me of it by refusing to marry me if he was wealthy or asking me to sign a pre-nup.
Like I said that points to trust issues and insecurities that the person he is supposed to be marrying won’t stick with him. That’s not a good foundation to base a marriage on and I for one wouldn’t marry a guy on that basis.
Bear in mind that my points are in relation to an original post by mypolitics who believes a women who truly loves a man will understand that he won’t marry her for his fear of her running off with her money.
I’ve no advice for them at all, Sinead. They aren’t in danger of the courts taking their money and/or home away and handing it to their ex so they don’t have to worry about it.
CABK, I didn’t tar ANY women whatsoever let alone all of them. I said that the threat exists men who get married, and not women.
Pretty sure your wrong there chuck. The courts usually rule in favour of the wife keeping the house cos she’s going to be the primary caregiver to the kids. If it was a case that the wife had left the family home and the husband was the primary caregiver, he would be awarded the house
Exactly. She won’t leave. He will be instructed to.
I’m sorry Chuck, but you are wrong in your assumptions. If a couple divorce and don’t have kids, assets are split 50/50.
If there are kids, there is a myriad of potential custody arrangements that the court, as arbitrator has to decide on. Any maintenance arrangements is primarily for the kids, and yes, that will often include one spouse remaining in the family home. Many divorcing couples agree to sell family home & go their own ways desperate to maintenance agreement.
If you judge marriage primarily on your perceptions of divorce, you are clearly not the marrying type!
Jeese lads with the outlook on women, your 40′s are going to be full of fun and lonliness. Do you lot have no mother ffs?
Who the hell wants to get married
To all single irish males! Irish women dont want ye cos ye are ignorant pigs. Ye spend money on drink instead of on yer kids. Stay single is my advice to ye cos ye dont have the emotional maturity for marriage. Thankfully i wed a beautiful foreigner instead of an irish pig
Thats a bit harsh, you must have been looking in the wrong places.
Guys on here are doing a great job backing her up. The view of most of them seems to be the only reason us women want to get married is to get a 10k ring, a massive do and so we can then run off with all their money and wealth. Oh and ruin their lives as well by being married to us. Just lovely.
Some great examples from above:
“girls wanting a 10,000 euro ring ”
“If a woman truly loves a man she won’t ask him to write her a blank cheque for life.”
“she’ll hang onto the gaff, the car and half your income.”
“Only lads in their late 30′s should start thinking about getting ball & chained.”
“If you are male and you are wealthy or expecting a big inheritance you must have stones in your head to get married”
Any guys out there who actually think it’d be nice to marry the woman you love and spend your life together????
CABK you will find most men on here have drank too much of all Lyons tea and are ALL TALK, at home behind closed doors they are really pussycats…..
Happily married thanks.
It’s called having a laugh.
Talk about bitter!
Deirdre, judging from your spelling I’m not surprised you needed someone for whom English was not a first language
deirdre the foreigners CAME HERE FOR MONEY PET!! mind ur bank acc before he runs back to poland when its gone. plenty of nice irish men out there..maybe u are the problem!!!!!!
I don’t have kids……
Who’d want to marry a Irish woman anyway??
Irish women think they are Gods gift to mankind and they are far from it.
It’s too late for allowing priest to marry to bring up the numbers – not enough of them now to be statistically significant.
People get married today for tax reasons. Through in a bit of love but tax is the main reason
Karla there is only one place u will find an irishman. Thats in a pub. Check out the above comments from the average irish “man”. I really dont rate em. Selfish, immature, useless, commitment phobic. Mostly just useless.
Cant paint them all with the same brust… There are ‘good ones’ out there, ones who put their kids frist, ones who dont drink or dont get drunk, ones who volunteer their time as kids soccer/ hurling / football coaches, ones who raise funds for charities, ones who cry at sad stories on the news, ones who are romantic and chivalrous. They can be found you just need to look in the right places, pubs arent the place to look.
Andrew o connell…. I like ur comment.. Pity more irish fellas wouldnt think like u… U had the balls to question their outlook. All the other gombeen males here are like dead fish. They go with the flow. I predict a loving family for u. U deserve it…
I’m assuming that the decrease in divorce rates is simply a reflection of the economy
I.e financial ability to afford a divorce
As opposed to a decrease in the number of marriage failures .
Yes mypilotics1. Follow your natural irish “manly” instincts. Chase those lovely hot eastern euro babes (when ye are half pissed/dutch courage they call it). They will be laughing all the way to the bank. 99% Irish men are losers. Glad i cut my losses years ago. Those hot eastern euro babes will eat ye for breakfast. Good for them. Ha ha ha ha
He’s not coming back, dear. Move on
For sure i am the problem diarmuid o brien. I wasnt willing to be treated like a doormat by an irish pig. I met my partner in his country actually and we moved to ireland. He hands me his wages every week. I lodge 60% into his acc and me and the 2 kids live on the balance. I have naff all money myself so he will hardly rob me. We are happy thank God.
do u give him back some pocket money on a friday for himself then??
Chuck. My spelling is fine. English is his first language in fact. Seriously he is so respectful/loving. I never had that experience wit an irish man…… Ever.
Yes, experience of wit appears to be an issue.
He manages restaurant so he cant be assed going out at all. If he goes out he brings us. I’d love to sing praises of irishmen only i cant. Been burnt too many times. My sis was asked to leave the house she shared with bf of 20 yrs who wouldnt marry her. He is 55 now and chasing 30 yr olds. She sleeping on floor of pals house waitin for him to ask her back. Isnt he a nice fella
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