St. Mary's Secondary School
Ballina, Mayo
Key facts
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 551 about the same size as the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 64520M the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
St. Mary's Secondary School is a Catholic girls' secondary school in Ballina, Co. Mayo, under the trusteeship of CEIST. Founded by the Mercy Sisters, the school has an enrolment of 551 students. The school moved to a new campus in September 2022. Its stated motto is "A Warm Welcome, A Caring Heart and a Commitment to Excellence." The Junior Cycle curriculum includes core subjects of Irish, English, Maths, Geography, History and Religious Education, along with wellbeing subjects such as SPHE, CSPE and Physical Education. Students choose between French and German as a modern foreign language, and select three additional subjects from Business Studies, Science, Visual Art, Music, Home Economics, Graphics and Applied Technology. Classroom Based Assessments are undertaken during class time and reported on the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement. The school also offers Transition Year and Senior Cycle programmes. Extracurricular activities include music, drama, debating, sport, Green Schools, student leadership and STEM initiatives. The school describes itself as a Catholic school community for girls.
History
The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Ballina on 14 October 1851 at the request of the Administrator of Ballina, taking up residence in a house on Knox Street before moving to a smaller house on the Rehins Road. In 1854 the Ballina foundation was launched as an independent convent. The Sisters took charge of the Girls' National School that year and later opened a Benefit School for Catholic children. In 1863 the foundation stone was laid for a convent building near the workhouse, and the Sisters moved into the Convent of the Immaculate Conception, All-Hallows in May 1867. A boarding school operated in the Northern wing until the 1880s, when it closed to make way for a new secondary school called "St. Mary's Intermediate School". In 1926 the school became an "A" school, teaching all subjects through Irish, a policy that continued until 1965. A new building was completed in 1938 and officially opened in 1939. Further extensions followed, including St. Anne's in 1969 and an Assembly Hall in 1973-74. Enrolment passed 500 students in the 1970s.
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 551 pupils enrolled. That makes it about the same size as 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.