St Fergal's College
Laois
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 383 smaller than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 181 girls, 202 boys
- Ethos
- Multi Denominational
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 71520D the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St Fergal’s College is a co‑educational secondary school that delivers a broad, balanced curriculum designed to foster intellectual, moral, emotional and physical development. The college emphasises a caring and respectful environment where students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and to develop a strong sense of personal worth. A safe, healthy setting underpins the school’s commitment to self‑discipline and lifelong learning, preparing pupils not only for examinations but for life beyond the classroom. Pastoral care is a central feature of the college, with a dedicated Care Team that includes senior staff, year heads, a guidance counsellor and a fully qualified Learning Support team. The S.P.H.E. programme supports personal development, health and well‑being, and assists first‑year students with transition, code of behaviour and self‑esteem. Learning support is provided in small groups for pupils with literacy or numeracy difficulties, with assessment and parental involvement built into the process. The campus comprises a modern, interconnected complex of purpose‑built classrooms, science and art rooms, construction studies facilities, information technology suites and extensive sports pitches on a 4.7‑acre field. These facilities, together with a vibrant extracurricular programme, including music and sport, enhance the holistic educational experience offered at St Fergal’s College.
History
St Fergal’s College traces its origins to adult domestic economy and woodwork classes held in 1931, with the first day vocational school operating in 1932. The school was formally established on the present Conoboro Road site in 1937 as a three‑room Technical School, offering Rural Science, Woodwork, Mechanical Drawing, Domestic Science, English, Irish and Maths. Subsequent expansions added metalwork, commerce, and additional classrooms in the 1960s and 1970s, and the school first sat the Intermediate Certificate (1970) and Leaving Certificate (1972). A new building programme in the late 1980s culminated in the official opening of “St Fergal’s College” in February 1989, with enrolments exceeding 500. Further developments included a 1996 building, acquisition of sports fields in 1997, and a major 2012 construction that linked all buildings into a single complex. Recent milestones feature leadership changes, enrolment growth to 370 pupils in 2023/24, and the presentation of the school’s first musical.
Applying to St Fergal's College
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 St Fergal's College. 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 St Fergal's College
How many pupils attend St Fergal's College?
St Fergal's College has 383 pupils enrolled, 181 girls and 202 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is St Fergal's College a DEIS school?
No. St Fergal's College 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 Fergal's College?
St Fergal's College has a Multi Denominational ethos. It is a mixed post-primary school.