Irish law stipulates that men and women are not allowed to divorce after marriage. When a new couple gets married, they must promise each other in church: "Only death shall part us." Therefore, divorce for any reason (even after the death of a spouse) is considered a violation of the vow and is not permitted.
Today, at the entrance of the marriage registration office in the Dublin municipal government building, there is a large LCD screen that provides detailed instructions on marriage requirements: this office only handles marriage registration and does not handle divorce. However, this does not mean that every Irish citizen can only spend their life with their only spouse, because the country implements a fixed-term marriage system. When entering into a marriage contract, both parties can negotiate and decide the duration of the marriage based on various factors, ranging from one year to one hundred years. It becomes effective after registration at this office, and upon the expiration of the term, the marriage relationship terminates. If both parties wish to continue living together, they can apply for an extension to continue the marriage relationship.
Here, marriage registration fees are charged based on the duration. The shorter the term, the more expensive the fee. If the marriage term is one year, the fee is two thousand pounds, equivalent to more than 26,000 RMB. At the same time, you will receive two marriage certificates as thick as a dictionary, which list the rights and obligations of both parties item by item, serving as a comprehensive set of family conduct regulations. For couples choosing a 100-year term, the cost of the marriage certificate is only fifty pence, equivalent to more than six RMB. There is no manual of rights and obligations, only a blessing letter from the local Chief Justice:
——Dear Sir and Madam:
I do not know what rights my left hand should enjoy over my right hand, my right leg over my left leg, my left eye over my right eye, or my right brain over my left brain, nor what obligations they should bear toward each other. In fact, they are a whole, existing because of each other and finding happiness because of each other.
Finally, let this little pink paper convey my best wishes for your century-long marriage! Wishing you happiness!
Chief Justice of Dublin, Jimmy Rimo
The above is a brief introduction to the marriage customs of the Irish people. For those who have just immigrated to Ireland, they might think: Is it a problem to get married or not? Or how many years should the marriage last? However, for those who truly love each other, who isn't planning to stay together for a lifetime and grow old together? Therefore, none of this is a problem at all.