Scoil Mhuire Magherarney
Smithborough, Monaghan
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 99 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 52 girls, 47 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 09186P the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Under Catholic patronage, Scoil Mhuire, Machaire Áirne is a rural primary school on the edge of Smithborough village in Co. Monaghan. About 99 pupils are taught in multi-grade classes running from Na Naíonáin to Rang a Sé. Irish has a fixed place in the calendar: on the last Friday of each month every class gathers in the school hall for Gaeilge sa Halla, with poetry, drama, conversation, music, dance, games and singing through Irish. Pupils also perform annually at the Féile Drámaíochta run by Monaghan Education Centre in the Garage Theatre. The school has its own anthem, composed by third and fourth class under the Teacher Artist Partnership programme, and it took part in Creative Schools with a project about Smithborough. Environmental work runs through a school garden and a Green Schools Committee, which has worked with Smithboro Tidy Towns on biodiversity and litter collection. An elected student council operates under a written constitution. Second and sixth class are prepared for First Holy Communion and Confirmation, and the school states its aims as enabling each child to develop socially and to be ready for further education and work.
History
Pupil representation at the school dates from 2011, when the first school council election was held. Among the council's early work was the design of a school football kit. Until then teams had played in the strip of the local Éire Óg club. The infant classroom chose the colours, green for the school's green flag and the fields beyond the school pitch, and gold for warmth, and children from first to sixth class then submitted jersey designs. Each classroom selected a finalist, and the winning design was chosen in February 2012. Later councils drew up the constitution that sets out how elections and meetings are run, and produced a school calendar and a tea towel carrying a self-portrait by every child in the school.
Applying to Scoil Mhuire Magherarney
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 primary school dates apply broadly to Scoil Mhuire Magherarney. 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: Thu 18 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027 (post-primary schools: Mon 15 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 Scoil Mhuire Magherarney
How many pupils attend Scoil Mhuire Magherarney?
Scoil Mhuire Magherarney has 99 pupils enrolled, 52 girls and 47 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Scoil Mhuire Magherarney a DEIS school?
No. Scoil Mhuire Magherarney 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 Scoil Mhuire Magherarney?
Scoil Mhuire Magherarney has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.