Loreto Secondary School
Clonmel,, Tipperary
Key facts
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 465 smaller than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 65330M the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
Girls from Clonmel and the rural districts around it attend this Catholic voluntary secondary school on the Coleville Road, on the Waterford City side of the town near the river Suir. It is a member house of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and comes under the trusteeship of the Loreto Trust, with an enrolment of 465. First years sit Irish, English, Maths, History, Geography and Science, adding three subjects chosen after the October midterm from Business Studies, French, Graphics, German, Home Economics, Music and Visual Art. Transition Year covers Spanish, Politics and Society, Agricultural Science, Computer Science, public speaking, debating, work experience, community service and outdoor pursuits. Senior students take Irish, English and Maths with four further subjects from a list that includes Accounting, Economics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology, and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme is available with its two link modules. Basketball, ladies' football and hockey are played competitively, with teams entered in school leagues and in Munster and All Ireland competition. The site includes a full size sports hall and outdoor play facilities.
History
The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary was founded in the seventeenth century by Mary Ward (1585 to 1645), who worked for the higher education of Catholic women and set up schools across Europe. Frances Ball, a Dubliner, established the Irish branch in 1821 at Rathfarnham, where the house was named Loreto Abbey, giving the sisters and their later foundations the Loreto name. Six Loreto Sisters reached Clonmel on 22 August 1881 and settled in a house next to the Suir Island Mills, where they stayed for roughly seven years. A fire at the flour mills in March 1889 badly damaged the convent, and in August 1889 the sisters purchased a residence on the Coleville Road. The school has stood on that site ever since. A new complex with a sports hall and outdoor facilities opened there in 2004.
Applying to Loreto Secondary School
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
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide post-primary school dates apply broadly to Loreto Secondary School. Individual schools set their own discretionary closure days, confirm exact dates with the school.
- 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
How many pupils attend Loreto Secondary School?
Loreto Secondary School has 465 pupils enrolled. That makes it smaller than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is Loreto Secondary School a DEIS school?
No. Loreto Secondary School 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?
Loreto Secondary School has a Catholic ethos. It is a girls' post-primary school.