St. Brigid's Secondary School
Killarney, Kerry
Key facts
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 789 larger than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 61340S the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St Brigid’s Secondary School, Killarney is a voluntary Catholic girls’ secondary school under the trusteeship of CEIST. It provides an open, non‑selective enrolment with mixed‑ability intake, delivering the full range of programmes on the Irish secondary curriculum – Junior Cycle, Transition Year, Senior Cycle, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and Leaving Certificate Applied. The school’s mission is to be a centre of growth and development, offering an “education for life and living” that is realistic, challenging and rooted in a Christian vision which respects the dignity of every individual. The campus benefits from a wide array of facilities that support both academic and extracurricular achievement. State‑of‑the‑art science laboratories, dedicated art and music spaces, and extensive sports provisions – including athletics, basketball, camogie, Gaelic football, soccer and golf – enable students to pursue diverse interests. Situated on New Street, the school lies adjacent to the historic Presentation Convent (founded 1793) and St Mary’s Cathedral, with the natural beauty of Killarney National Park nearby, creating a supportive environment for cultural, sporting, musical, artistic and pastoral excellence.
History
St Brigid’s Secondary School was founded in 1950 as a Presentation school, drawing on the educational philosophy of Nano Nagle and the legacy of St Brigid of Kildare. As part of the Presentation tradition, the school embraces a Catholic ethos that promotes dignity, justice and respect for all, while welcoming students of any faith or none. Over more than seven decades the school has grown into a centre of cultural, academic, sporting and artistic achievement, maintaining its commitment to inclusive, caring education and the values of the CEIST trust.
Applying to St. Brigid's 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
View St. Brigid's Secondary School's own calendar (2026/2027 school year)
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide post-primary school dates apply broadly to St. Brigid's Secondary School. The school publishes its own calendar, linked above, and that is the authoritative source for its reopening date and discretionary closure days.
- 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 St. Brigid's Secondary School
How many pupils attend St. Brigid's Secondary School?
St. Brigid's Secondary School has 789 pupils enrolled. That makes it larger than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is St. Brigid's Secondary School a DEIS school?
No. St. Brigid's Secondary 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 St. Brigid's Secondary School?
St. Brigid's Secondary School has a Catholic ethos. It is a girls' post-primary school.