The Ceide Fields Visitors Centre is one of seven OPW sites in the country to be approved for use for civil marriage ceremonies by Minister of State, Brian Hayes last week. Speaking about the sites announced, Minister of State Hayes said, "These are wonderful and iconic sites that are familiar to many of us and are a key part of our cultural heritage. There are many places in our portfolio apart from the obvious ones - unique venues which would certainly add to the occasion for couples on their special day. We are very interested in opening up these sites to more visitors and a greater variety of uses and while this is the initial list, I would welcome suggestions from members of the public.”
Couples intending to hold a civil ceremony in the near future and who are interested in doing so at an OPW managed site should email [email protected] and state the site that they are interested in. The OPW will respond to these requests and will inform couples of the availability for the site in question and the conditions that would apply for any civil ceremony to take place there. In all cases, permission to use a site for a civil ceremony relates to the ceremony event only and catering or reception facilities are not being made available as part of this initiative. In many cases, sites will be simultaneously open to the public and the ceremonies will have to be balanced with the need to maintain access for other visitors.
