Scoil Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach
Abbeyside, Waterford
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 455 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 223 girls, 232 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 18094L the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Scoil Mhuire Abbeyside Primary School is a mixed Catholic national school situated on Sheare’s Street in the coastal village of Abbeyside, Dungarvan, County Waterford. It serves the local parish and surrounding rural areas, welcoming children of all faiths and backgrounds. The school provides a broad, inclusive curriculum supported by modern facilities, including interactive whiteboards in each classroom, a spacious school hall with a stage, and extensive outdoor playing fields for physical education and sport. The learning environment is deliberately small‑class focused, with junior and senior infant rooms limited to twenty pupils or fewer, enabling personalised attention. A dedicated special‑education team delivers systematic team‑teaching in literacy and numeracy, and a state‑of‑the‑art Réalta ASD unit accommodates twelve children with autism, with opportunities for integration into mainstream classes. The school also offers a sensory room, two autism classrooms, before‑ and after‑school services, and a range of extracurricular activities such as Gaelic football, music lessons, and cultural events, fostering a well‑rounded experience for its 471 pupils.
History
Formal education in Abbeyside began in 1891 at The Pond, a two‑room school serving up to 84 children per room. In 1957 the original building closed and pupils moved to a new site on Sheare’s Street, becoming Scoil Mhuire. The school later amalgamated with the Ballinacourty school in 1969, introducing a bus service for those pupils. Over the decades the school expanded its enrolment, facilities and programmes, including a major building programme in 2000 that added six classrooms and the introduction of the Réalta ASD unit in recent years.
Applying to Scoil Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach
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 Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach. 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 Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach
How many pupils attend Scoil Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach?
Scoil Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach has 455 pupils enrolled, 223 girls and 232 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Scoil Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach a DEIS school?
No. Scoil Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach 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 Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach?
Scoil Náisiúnta Dun Na Mainistreach has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.