Northern Ireland gets first pagan priest as parliament officially recognise the Order of The Golden River as a religion

Priest Patrick Cranberry said he was still 'in shock' but 'absolutely over the moon' about the results

One of Northern Ireland's stone circles (Beaghmore) where the Order of The Gold River could marry its followers (Rex images)

Northern Ireland has officially recognised a pagan priest and church for the first time.

The Order of the Golden River, established in 2009 and headed by Patrick Cranberry, was recognised as an official church by the Northern Irish General Registry Office at the end of last month.

Mr Cranberry, who goes by the title Sovereign and Founder and is Northern Ireland’s first recognised Pagan priest, said he had originally applied for official recognition only in order to legally marry people of his faith.

“We can now do hand passings, which is our official belief, rather than having to have a ceremony outside as we’d prefer and then another in the local registry office,” he told The Independent.

Mr Cranberry, who is based in Glenmormley and who has travelled extensively for his beliefs, asked the Stormont parliament for permission to be a certified holy man five months ago.

He said he was “absolutely over the moon” about the result, adding: “I’m still in shock, we were not expecting to be recognised.”

He added that although his religion has been in existence for some time, he and his followers previously operated underground for fear of prejudice.

Mr Cranberry although his religion did not require a building, as “generally we can use ancient stone circles and are involved closely with nature,” he has been offered the use of a building in Londonderry by a sympathetic supporter.

Since becoming an officially recognised religion, he said that the support had been overwhelming, admitting that he had jokingly queried: “what have I let myself in for?”