Sooey National School
Boyle, Sligo
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 112 about the same size as the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 49 girls, 63 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 18053U the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Sooey National School is a five‑teacher primary school situated on the R284 between Ballygawley and Riverstown in County Sligo. The school currently educates 127 pupils from Junior Infants through to Sixth Class and provides a full‑time resource and learning support teacher as well as a full‑time school‑nurse assistant. The curriculum is delivered across a range of modern classrooms, including a purpose‑built pre‑fabricated block for Fifth and Sixth Class and a recent extension that houses a dedicated classroom for Third and Fourth Class, a resource teaching room, an office and a staff room. A spacious new playground adjacent to the extension gives the children ample space for outdoor play and physical activity. The school places a strong emphasis on community involvement and holistic development. Regular activities such as litter‑pick clean‑ups, healthy‑eating tastings, music generation sessions and seasonal celebrations are woven into the school programme, encouraging pupils to develop social skills, environmental awareness and a love of the arts. The school’s crest incorporates the sorrel flower, reflecting the local heritage and the meaning of the name “Sooey”.
History
The first school in the area opened at the Sooey crossroads in 1870 but its roof collapsed in 1881. A new building was erected in 1883 and became the largest of five National Schools in the Riverstown parish. The original 1950s building fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1955; classes were temporarily held in the neighbouring parish hall until the present school building was completed in May 1956 and officially opened in November 1956 as *Scoil Freastógála na Maigdine Muire*. Declining enrolments in the 1980s led to a one‑teacher school by 1985, with numbers falling to just 11 pupils in 1996 and the school facing possible closure. Community action restored the school’s viability, and by 1998 enrolments rose to 16, allowing a second teacher. The turn of the millennium saw further growth, with a third classroom added in 2004 and a fourth teacher appointed in 2008 when pupil numbers reached 95. A prefabricated building replaced the old water tower to accommodate Fifth and Sixth Class, and a major extension in 2013 added new classroom space, a resource room, staff facilities and an expanded playground. Today the school serves 127 pupils.
Applying to Sooey National 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 primary school dates apply broadly to Sooey National 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: 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 Sooey National School
How many pupils attend Sooey National School?
Sooey National School has 112 pupils enrolled, 49 girls and 63 boys. That makes it about the same size as the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Sooey National School a DEIS school?
No. Sooey National 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 Sooey National School?
Sooey National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.