Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane were the first gay men in the UK to get a civil partnership back in 2005. But they were left in a legal limbo when the laws were changed to allow same-sex couples to get married in NI. Those already in civil partnerships were denied the retrospective right to marriage, sparking a long legal battle. As of Monday, more than 1,300 same-sex couples in Northern Ireland can convert their civil partnerships into marriages. The Flanagan-Kanes were among the first going through the process. Finance Minister Conor Murphy said 17 couples were expected to convert their civil partnerships to marriages on Monday, with a total of 32 planned for this week.