St. Joseph's Secondary School
Ballybunion, Kerry
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 349 smaller than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 189 girls, 160 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 61220I the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St. Joseph's Secondary School is a co-educational Catholic secondary school in Ballybunion, County Kerry, situated on cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Enrolment is 349 students. The school operates under the trusteeship of CEIST, having previously been under the Mercy Sisters. It is the only co-educational school in Ballybunion, taking students from First Year to Leaving Certificate. The curriculum includes the Junior Cycle, Senior Cycle, Transition Year and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. The school has an ASD hub. Each class is assigned a Year Head teacher, and a mentoring programme pairs fifth year students with incoming first years. A Student Council provides student leadership.
History
The school first opened in September 1952, offering second level education to girls from Ballybunion and the surrounding area. It became co-educational in 1966. Management was the sole responsibility of the Mercy Sisters until Boards of Management were introduced nationally in the late 1980s. In the late 19th century, Mary Young, a wealthy widow from Kilconly, invited the Sisters of Mercy to set up a school in her private residence, which later became St. Joseph's Mercy Convent. The sisters arrived on 6 August 1883. The school logo, adopted in 2009, combines the Mercy crest with a monogram based on a stained glass window from the convent building, designed for Mary Young.
Applying to St. Joseph'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
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide post-primary school dates apply broadly to St. Joseph's Secondary 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: 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. Joseph's Secondary School
How many pupils attend St. Joseph's Secondary School?
St. Joseph's Secondary School has 349 pupils enrolled, 189 girls and 160 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is St. Joseph's Secondary School a DEIS school?
No. St. Joseph'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. Joseph's Secondary School?
St. Joseph's Secondary School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed post-primary school.