St Marys Central National School
Donnybrook, Dublin
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 588 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 328 girls, 260 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 19727G the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
St Mary’s National School is a Roman Catholic primary school serving boys and girls from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. Under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin, the school follows the religious programme set by the Archdiocese, providing a curriculum that integrates Catholic faith formation with a broad, child‑centred academic programme. The ethos stresses inclusivity, respect, safety and happiness, aiming to nurture each pupil’s intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and social wellbeing while recognising and valuing diversity of belief and background. The school operates on a split, vertical campus. A bright, warm and engaging building on Belmont Avenue, refurbished in 2016, accommodates the Junior Infants to First Class. A state‑of‑the‑art senior building on the Mount Eden Road campus, opened in 2022, houses the 2nd to 6th Class pupils. This dual‑site arrangement allows seamless progression from early years to senior classes within a cohesive community. Strong links with the local parish and the wider Donnybrook community are embodied in the school motto “Croí an Phobail”, fostering a supportive environment where parents, guardians and the Board of Management work in partnership with staff to promote a happy, inclusive learning experience.
History
St Mary’s National School originated in 1981 when the separate boys’ and girls’ schools in Donnybrook were amalgamated. The boys’ school had been located in the former Parish Centre of the Church of the Sacred Heart, while the girls’ school operated from the Youth Club building on Belmont Avenue until a new school building was erected there in 1966 and later extended in 1981 to accommodate the merged school. Significant development continued with a complete refurbishment of the Belmont Avenue junior building in September 2016 and the opening of a brand‑new senior building on the Mount Eden campus in September 2022, creating a unique vertical school layout. Since 2016 the school has been able to offer places to all children from the Donnybrook parish.
Applying to St Marys Central 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
View St Marys Central National School's own calendar (2026/2027 school year)
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to St Marys Central National 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: 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 St Marys Central National School
How many pupils attend St Marys Central National School?
St Marys Central National School has 588 pupils enrolled, 328 girls and 260 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is St Marys Central National School a DEIS school?
No. St Marys Central 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 St Marys Central National School?
St Marys Central National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.