The Church of Ireland has refused to apologise to gay couples hurt by the lack of blessing for their relationships.

A motion calling for the Anglican body to acknowledge the hurt felt and asking bishops to look into prayers and thanksgiving services for LGBT couples was rejected by the Church's synod last Friday.

After splitting into their three separate factions – bishops, clergy and laity – to vote, the motion was defeated by 72 to 56 in the clergy and by 104 to 90 in the laity. The bishops opted not to vote.

Tabled by Dr Leo Kilroy and seconded by Rev Brian O'Rourke, both members of the select committee looking issues surrounding same-sex relationships, the private members motion did not look to change church teaching.

Instead it asked the synod to acknowledge 'the injury felt by members of the Church who enter into loving, committed and legally-recognised, same-sex relationships, due to the absence of provision for them to mark that key moment in their lives publicly and prayerfully in Church'.

It went on to ask bishops to look into 'sensitive, local pastoral arrangements for public prayer and thanksgiving with same-sex couples'.

The motion was tabled by Kilroy and O'Rourke individually without the consent of the committee and comes as GAFCON, a conservative grouping within the worldwide Anglican Communion, vowed to appoint a 'missionary bishop' for conservative Christians in the wake of what it sees as a liberalising trend in Anglican Churches.

The move bypasses traditional authorities such as the Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop David Chillingworth, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, which is set to approve a change in teaching on gay marriage next month.