St Mary's Secondary School
Mallow, Cork
Key facts
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 749 larger than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 62350D the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
St. Mary’s Secondary School, Mallow is an all‑girls post‑primary Catholic college situated in Co. Cork and operates under the trusteeship of CEIST, drawing inspiration from the Mercy tradition of Catherine McAuley. The school’s ethos centres on holistic development, fostering academic excellence while nurturing caring, confident individuals who respect themselves, others and the environment. A collaborative partnership between the Board of Management, Student Council and Parents’ Association underpins a supportive learning community where students are encouraged to thrive both academically and personally. The campus combines modern facilities with a strong sense of tradition. A purpose‑built building opened in 2003 and a further extension approved in 2022 added eleven state‑of‑the‑art classrooms, a science laboratory and an EN suite, ensuring that the school can accommodate a growing enrolment and provide contemporary learning spaces. The curriculum is broad, encompassing Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Senior Cycle programmes, and is delivered within a vibrant school life that promotes extracurricular involvement, leadership and community engagement.
History
The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Mallow in 1845, establishing a primary school shortly thereafter. Recognising the need for secondary education as early as 1903, the Sisters founded St. Mary’s Secondary School on 29 August 1932, initially occupying the former 1850 National School building. The inaugural staff comprised Miss Kitty Whelton and Sister St. M. Benedicta, with 28 pupils enrolled. Over subsequent decades the school expanded repeatedly: extensions were added in 1966, 1970, 1974, 1982 and 1987 to accommodate rising numbers, reaching over 600 students. A new purpose‑built facility opened in autumn 2003, and in 2022 the Department of Education sanctioned an additional extension featuring eleven classrooms, a science laboratory and an EN suite, securing modern facilities for future generations.
Applying to St Mary'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 Mary'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 Mary's Secondary School
How many pupils attend St Mary's Secondary School?
St Mary's Secondary School has 749 pupils enrolled. That makes it larger than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is St Mary's Secondary School a DEIS school?
No. St Mary'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 Mary's Secondary School?
St Mary's Secondary School has a Catholic ethos. It is a girls' post-primary school.