St Marys Parochial School
Clonmel, Tipperary
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 52 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 26 girls, 26 boys
- Ethos
- Church Of Ireland
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 17332T the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St. Mary’s Parochial School is a co‑educational primary school situated in the historic Model School building on the Western Road, Clonmel, beside the town hospital. The school caters for children from Junior Infants to 6th Class across three small classrooms, allowing personalised attention and strong teacher‑pupil relationships. It follows the full Irish curriculum while placing equal emphasis on social, emotional and creative development, fostering a community where curiosity, collaboration and a love of learning thrive. The school’s facilities include dedicated spaces for special education, language support, and a range of extracurricular programmes such as Creative Schools, Green Schools, a school garden and sport activities. Sharing the historic building with the National Education Psychological Service (NEPS) provides additional resources and a supportive environment for pupils of diverse needs. The ethos promotes respect, fairness and civic responsibility, encouraging each child to reach their full potential in a caring, inclusive setting.
History
St. Mary’s Parochial School originated as a charter school for Protestant orphans in Silversprings, closing in 1824 with its funding transferred to a Parochial School on Mary Street. On 3 July 1849 the government opened the Model School on the Western Road, a Tudoresque‑style training school with undenominational rules. After the Mary Street building fell into disrepair and closed in 1930, its pupils moved to the Model School, which was renamed St. Mary’s Parochial School and has operated under that name ever since. The Irish Christian Brothers occupied the premises from 1933 until 1965, during which time various government offices were also housed there. Today the school continues to serve the Clonmel community while sharing the historic building with NEPS.
Applying to St Marys Parochial 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 primary school dates apply broadly to St Marys Parochial 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: 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 Parochial School
How many pupils attend St Marys Parochial School?
St Marys Parochial School has 52 pupils enrolled, 26 girls and 26 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is St Marys Parochial School a DEIS school?
No. St Marys Parochial 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 Parochial School?
St Marys Parochial School has a Church Of Ireland ethos. It is a mixed primary school.