BUREAUCRACY PREVENTED THE marriage of a same-sex couple in Cork today, on the first day that such unions were rendered legal within Ireland.
Dolores Murphy and her partner Mabel Stoop-Murphy were told by officials at Cork registry office that the marriage could not take place because a 24-hour notice period required under the Civil Registration Act between their signing of a declaration of consent and the marriage itself had not fully passed.
A clearly heartbroken Dolores subsequently told reporters that “as usual the government has let us down again”.
She and Mabel received the news only minutes before they had been due to wed.
The couple are free to marry from tomorrow though it is unclear when the ceremony will now be held.
Earlier Dolores had told RTE’s Morning Ireland that her father, who died in 2013, would have been “so happy to be present for this day”.
I never thought this would actually happen, not here. It’s overwhelming, I’m absolutely shaking from head to toe, I’m just so happy that it’s actually happening.
She described the day as belonging to the couple’s son James.
“It’s his day,” she said.
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