Ten per cent of all marriages in Ireland now involve at least one person who has been divorced, according to figures released today by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). In addition, a majority of middle-aged people who marry, are marrying for a second time.

In 2006, 22,089 marriages were contracted in Ireland. Of these, 2,253 involved at least one person who was divorced.

There were 990 marriages involving a divorced man and a single woman, 710 marriages involving a single man to a divorced woman and 453 marriages where both parties had been previously married. The remaining 100 marriages involved widows and widowers.

Of these, those marrying in the age groups 45-49, 50-54 and 55-59 were most likely to have been divorced. Of men marrying aged between 45-49, 46 per cent were divorced. Among men marrying in the age group 50-54, 59 per cent had been divorced. Among those aged 55-59, 64 per cent were divorced.

Among women, the figures were similar. Among women getting married between the ages of 40-44, 31 per cent were divorced. In the age group 45-49, 51 per cent of those marrying were divorce, and among those aged 50-54, 56 per cent were divorced.

Among women marrying in age group 55-59, 62 per cent were divorced.

The average of those getting married is 33 for men, 31 for women. In 1996, the average marrying age was 30 for men and 28 for women.

Nearly a quarter of all marriages, 5,127, over 23 per cent, were held in civil registry offices. This compares to 3,683, or 17 per cent of all marriages in 2002. Just over 73 per cent of marriages were held in Catholic churches. This compares to 77 per cent in 2002.