The Sunday Tribune has learned that the British Embassy in Dublin, which is regarded as British territory, has been hosting civil partnership ceremonies for the last few months. The first was held on 18 August and there have been four since. They are conducted under UK law.

Three male couples and two female couples have been married at the embassy. The conditions stipulate that at least one of the two persons intending to obtain a civil partnership should be a British citizen.

So far, there have been no Irish-British unions either booked or carried out.

In order to comply with British law, the ceremony is conducted in a public area of the embassy so that anyone can come along and object to the wedding going ahead.

So far, no one has attempted to ruin any couple's big day in such a fashion.

"There are procedures that we have to follow and one of these is that it is in a public area, " an embassy spokesman said. "Most of the information in relation to this is on our website.

"We also tend to point out that there are better places to conduct a civil partnership than in the public area of an embassy when we get enquiries."

The revelation comes as a Sunday Tribune Millward Brown IMS poll this weekend shows that 64% of Irish people believe that same sex couples should be granted the same legal and financial rights as married couples.

Although 26% believed they should not, a further 10% did not know or had no opinion.