A priest performed a marriage ceremony for a girl when she was 15 years old, the Children's Court in Dublin heard yesterday.
The details of the girl's marriage emerged after she pleaded guilty to a bank burglary in which over €2,000 in cash and more than €8,000 worth of cheques were stolen.
The girl, now 17 years old, pleaded guilty to entering the Bank of Ireland branch on Gledswood Drive, Clonskeagh, Dublin, as a trespasser with intent to steal cash and cheques on November 14th last.
Garda Sgt Michael Gibbons told Judge Geoffrey Browne that the girl had acted as a decoy while her younger brother, who is in his early teens, slipped into the bank's cash room, and stole the money and cheques. CCTV footage helped gardaí to identify them.
Sgt Gibbons described the incident as being more "opportunistic" than pre-planned.
None of the money stolen has been recovered. The cheques, although, still missing, were never cashed. The girl's brother, the accomplice, is missing and wanted by gardaí in connection with a number of investigations, the court heard.
Ms Sarah Molloy, defending,said a priest "down the country" had married the girl, who is a member of the Travelling community, to her husband when she was 15 years old.
She lives with her husband but has no income other than social welfare payments.
"I am perturbed that none of the money was recovered and there has been no effort made to repay it," said Judge Browne who then adjourned the case, and released the girl on bail until a date in July for a pre-sentence probation and welfare report.