Offaly couples marry younger

Offaly brides and grooms were younger than average in 2013, according to new data released this week by the Central Statistics Office.

According to the data the average age of Offaly grooms last year was 33.8, while the average age of brides in the county was 32.2. Nationally the average age of grooms in the same year came in at 34.9, while the average age of brides was 32.8.

The average age of both brides and grooms has been increasing for the country as a whole in recent years. Back in 1963 the average groom age was 30.1 and the average bride was 26.5. In 1977 those average ages hit lows of 26.2 for grooms and 24 for brides, but those average ages have increased to current highs in the intervening years.

Nationwide 20,680 marriages were registered last year, with a total of 384 of those in Offaly.

Nationwide 62.5% of those were Roman Catholic marriage ceremonies. Offaly trumped that percentage figure, with over 71.5% of the county’s weddings Roman Catholic ceremonies.

Civil marriages accounted for just under 30% of marriage ceremonies countrywide. Offaly’s corresponding figure was well down on that, at just under 22%.

The figures also showed that home really is where the heart is for Offalians. According to them over 77% of Offaly’s 306 grooms last year said 'I do’ to Offaly brides, while over 80% of Offaly’s 292 brides last year chose partners from the same county.

Similar to 2012, August was the most popular month for weddings in 2013, while January was the least popular. Friday and Saturday also continued to be the most popular days of the week to get married.