Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School
Waterford
Key facts
- DEIS
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 479 smaller than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 64971W the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School, Waterford, is a co‑educational post‑primary institution that has been delivering guidance‑focused, holistic education since 1965. The school’s ethos centres on nurturing each student’s academic, spiritual and personal development, aiming to achieve excellence across the curriculum while fostering a supportive community grounded in Catholic values. A strong partnership with the CEIST (Catholic Education an Irish Schools Trust) network underpins its commitment to moral education and social responsibility. The college provides a modern learning environment equipped with digital platforms such as GSuite for collaborative work and VSWare for administrative services, ensuring that students develop the ICT skills essential for contemporary life. Facilities include well‑resourced classrooms, science laboratories, and dedicated spaces for arts, sport and pastoral care, enabling a broad range of curricular and extracurricular activities. The school’s guidance programme offers comprehensive support for exam preparation, career planning and personal wellbeing, reflecting its dedication to preparing learners for further education and active citizenship.
Applying to Our Lady of Mercy 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 Our Lady of Mercy 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 Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School
How many pupils attend Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School?
Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School has 479 pupils enrolled. That makes it smaller than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School a DEIS school?
Yes. Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School is part of DEIS, the Department of Education programme called Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools. DEIS schools serve communities at risk of educational disadvantage and receive additional supports, which can include smaller classes, extra teaching posts and funding for books and meals.
What is the ethos of Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School?
Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School has a Catholic ethos. It is a girls' post-primary school.