Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan
Balbriggan, Dublin
Key facts
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 1,220 larger than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 60010P the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan is a Catholic girls’ secondary school located directly on the seafront in Balbriggan. The school’s ethos, inspired by Mary Ward, seeks to develop every student’s academic, spiritual and personal abilities, encouraging self‑confidence, self‑esteem and a commitment to service within a happy, structured environment. Collaboration and mutual respect are central to the school community, which strives for holistic excellence across the Junior and Senior cycles. The campus is described as “second to none”, offering a wide range of modern facilities. Students have access to two computer rooms, four art rooms, six science laboratories, a large library, two assembly areas, four kitchens and specialised demonstration rooms. Sporting provision includes basketball and tennis courts, a flood‑lit AstroTurf pitch and a state‑of‑the‑art gym. The school day runs from 9.10 am to 4 pm (with a shortened Wednesday), and robust pastoral systems are in place to ensure every pupil feels a sense of belonging and wellbeing.
History
The Loreto sisters established the school in 1857 when Sister Paul Finn of Loreto Navan accepted a proposal to open a school at Gracefield House on a six‑acre coastal site. Mother Ignatius Barrett became the first Mother Superior, and the institution opened as a boarding school in November 1857 while also serving local day pupils. The boarding component closed in 1980, and a mixed junior school operated on the grounds from 1950 to 1986. Responding to the expansion of free education and regional population growth, a new school building was opened in 1983, followed by the Mary Ward House extension in 2007. In 2012 the modern Gracefield House was added, creating a campus of three interconnected buildings centred around a courtyard and equipped with extensive academic and sporting facilities.
Applying to Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan
For a September 2027 place, a school's formal admissions process cannot begin before 1 October 2026. The school sets its own opening and closing dates in its annual admission notice.
National term dates 2026/27
View Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan's own calendar (2026/2027 school year)
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide post-primary school dates apply broadly to Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan. The school publishes its own calendar, linked above, and that is the authoritative source for its reopening date and discretionary closure days.
- October Mid-Term Break: Mon 26 Oct – Fri 30 Oct 2026
- Christmas Holidays: Wed 23 Dec 2026 – Tue 5 Jan 2027
- February Mid-Term Break: Mon 15 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027 (primary schools: Thu 18 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027)
- Easter Holidays: Mon 22 Mar – Sun 4 Apr 2027
Primary schools close for the last two days of the February mid-term week and may use discretionary days to take the full week, so their break can be shorter than post-primary schools'.
Frequently asked questions about Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan
How many pupils attend Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan?
Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan has 1,220 pupils enrolled. That makes it larger than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan a DEIS school?
No. Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan is not part of DEIS, the Department of Education programme of additional supports for schools serving communities at risk of educational disadvantage. Not holding DEIS status says nothing about how good a school is, only about the profile of the community it serves.
What is the ethos of Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan?
Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan has a Catholic ethos. It is a girls' post-primary school.