St Finian's College
Ballyglass, Westmeath
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 891 larger than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 492 girls, 399 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 63280N the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St Finian's College is a Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Enrolment stands at approximately 896 pupils, with an equal number of boys and girls. The school is named after St Finian of Clonard, described by the school as one of the great educators of medieval Europe. The college welcomes students of all religions and none. The Junior Cycle curriculum includes core subjects of Irish, English, Maths, History, Geography, Science and Religious Education, with students choosing four optional subjects in first year from Graphics, French, German, Business Studies, Home Economics, Music and Applied Technology. Wellbeing subjects include Civic, Social & Political Education (CSPE), Physical Education (PE) and Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE). The school also offers the Leaving Certificate, Transition Year and a Schola Cantorum, a specialist music school established to train future church organists and choir directors. A new building project began in November 2023, with three new buildings constructed at the rear of the main building, including a Science and Technology building, an Arts and Humanities building, and a Fitness Suite.
Applying to St Finian'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 Finian'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 Finian's College
How many pupils attend St Finian's College?
St Finian's College has 891 pupils enrolled, 492 girls and 399 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is St Finian's College a DEIS school?
No. St Finian'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 Finian's College?
St Finian's College has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed post-primary school.