Scoil Muire Agus Padraig
Mayo
Key facts
- DEIS
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 394 smaller than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 189 girls, 205 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 64690O the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Scoil Muire Agus Padraig is a Catholic voluntary secondary school situated in Swinford, County Mayo. It provides a co‑educational learning environment for students from the Junior Cycle through to the Senior Cycle, offering a range of programmes including the Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP). The school’s mission emphasises partnership with families and the wider community, fostering a caring atmosphere where pupils can develop academically, physically, emotionally and spiritually. A strong ethos of mutual respect and loyalty underpins everyday life, reflected in the vision “Everybody cares, everybody learns, everybody belongs.” The campus incorporates a variety of dedicated facilities that support a broad curriculum and extracurricular provision. Historic buildings house a well‑stocked library, music rooms and a science laboratory, while newer extensions provide modern domestic science kitchens, art studios and a hall used for performances and assemblies. Sporting opportunities are extensive, with athletics, cross‑country and other team activities, and the school maintains an active presence on social media platforms such as Instagram to keep the community informed of events, parent‑teacher meetings and extracurricular highlights.
History
The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Swinford in 1855, establishing the Convent of Mercy. In 1906 they founded St Mary’s Secondary School for girls on the present site, initially teaching twelve pupils in an improvised intermediate school. Over the following decades the school expanded with a soldiers’ hut (1910), a boarding school (1912), and an annex added in 1927 that housed classrooms, music rooms, a library and a shop. The 1930s saw the construction of St Joseph’s Hall for cookery, needlework, art and music, while the 1940s introduced a new science laboratory and domestic science kitchen. Boys began second‑level education in 1945 with the establishment of St Patrick’s College, which later merged with St Mary’s in 1985 to form the co‑educational Méan Scoil Muire Agus Padraig. In 1993 the incorporation of Swinford Vocational School created the present Scoil Muire Agus Padraig.
Applying to Scoil Muire Agus Padraig
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 Scoil Muire Agus Padraig. 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 Scoil Muire Agus Padraig
How many pupils attend Scoil Muire Agus Padraig?
Scoil Muire Agus Padraig has 394 pupils enrolled, 189 girls and 205 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is Scoil Muire Agus Padraig a DEIS school?
Yes. Scoil Muire Agus Padraig 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 Scoil Muire Agus Padraig?
Scoil Muire Agus Padraig has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed post-primary school.