Love is in the air as emigrants return for holidays

Emigration is bringing a change in the calendar for Irish priests: December is now becoming a peak month for weddings.

“We have a lot more weddings in December, especially between Christmas and new year,” reveals Mullingar priest, Fr Michael Kilmartin.
And, he says, it’s down to the fact that so many young people are now living abroad.

“This is the new trend: the couples themselves either want to come home at Christmas and get married when they know all their family and friends are around – or if they are living here, they want to have it around Christmas so their sisters or brothers living in Canada or Australia can come home for it,” he says.

“They’re more than welcome to get married then,” he says. “We are delighted to facilitate them in coming back to Mullingar.”

However, he warns, if they’re living abroad, there is somewhat more paperwork involved, as they will have to obtain their letters of freedom from the places where they are currently living, so they should allow a fair bit of time to ensure they have everything in order, so they can have their weddings back home, when they want them.