Nearly three out of 10 weddings last year were civil marriages.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show a drop in those opting for Catholic ceremonies, at 59%.

Some 28% of couples were married in civil ceremonies in 2014, down 1% on the previous year.

There was a slightly bigger drop in the numbers choosing to marry in the Catholic church - down 3% on the year before to 59%.

Of those, most opted to get married on a Friday or Saturday - with the majority choosing to say 'I do' in August.

The average age of Irish brides in 2014 was 33, and grooms were a little older at 35.

Almost nine out of ten marriages were the first for both the groom and bride - while nearly 2,500 weddings involved at least one divorced person.

Last year, 392 same-sex couples became civil partners: 242 were male unions and 150 were female.

While three-quarters of civil partnerships took place in Leinster, while more than half were in Dublin alone.