Marriage Papers

You will need

  1. A certificate of Baptism recently issued (not more than six months old)
  2. Evidence of Confirmation
  3. Evidence that you have completed a pre-marriage course.
  4. Proof that you have not been married before from any place where you have lived for six months or more since you reached marriageable age. – you will get such a letter of freedom from the priest of the parish where you lived whether in another part of Ireland or abroad.
  5. Permission / Dispensations from diocese of origin if/as required; and where applicable
  6. In the case of non-Catholics, a baptismal certificate from their own Church community;
  7. In the case of non-Christians a civil birth certificate;
  8. In the event of either party’s having been widowed or having received a Church annulment, on whatever basis, appropriate documentation must be included (Civil Death Certificate, Decree of Nullity etc).
  9. In the case of Church annulity a civil divorce document or a state annulment document must be included.

When you have got these documents together bring them to the priest of the parish in which you now live.
He will complete your Pre-Nuptial Enquiry form – a lengthy form containing such data as the names of the Best Man and Bridesmaid, your future intended place of residence, etc.
(N.B. these papers are extremely important – Weddings cannot take place without them)
It is the obligation of the bride’s priest to insure that all wedding papers are forwarded to Ballintubber Abbey.

Marriage Papers for those living outside Ireland

The following documentation is necessary for couples coming from outside the country even when both parties are Catholic and / or originally from Ireland.

You will need all documents (as relevant) as listed 1-9 on previous page

Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Form(s) in respect of each party completed and signed in presence of priest.

In the case of each party, no matter what their origin, religion or circumstances, an affidavit, sworn and signed before a solicitor/attorney/notary public that they are “not now and have never been married according to any form, whether civil or ecclesiastical”

The following rules must furthermore be adhered to strictly in the preparation and transmission of the above:

  1. All documentation, without exception, is to be original. No photocopied material whatever will be accepted:
  2. No documentation is to be dated more than six months prior to the date of the wedding;
  3. The papers are to be prepared at parish level and submitted thereafter to the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Origin with the request that they be granted a testimonial letter and sent on directly to. The Archbishop’s Secretary, Archbishops House, Tuam, Co. Galway. All paperwork in these circumstances must go through both Chancery Offices, there and here. No exceptions are envisaged.

It is the obligation of the bride’s priest to insure that all wedding papers are forwarded to the above address