St Patricks National School
Letterkenny, Donegal
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 426 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 203 girls, 223 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 16672P the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
St Patrick’s National School, Lurgybrack, is a co‑educational primary school located three miles outside Letterkenny on the main Sligo road. The school provides a pupil‑centred education for over 400 children, supported by a team of teachers, special needs assistants and dedicated support staff. Its Catholic ethos, under the patronage of the Bishop of Raphoe, underpins a holistic approach that nurtures intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical development, while promoting respect, inclusion and anti‑bullying values. The campus includes purpose‑built facilities such as a modern autism centre (An Crann Óg) for specialised learning, a hall, football and basketball courts, and ample outdoor space for a wide range of sporting activities including GAA, soccer, rugby, athletics and basketball. The school is active in environmental and health initiatives, having earned seven Green Flags and the Active School Flag in 2015 and 2019, and has received multiple awards for its science and mathematics programmes. Regular extracurricular opportunities such as quizzes, chess, choir, art competitions and drama further enrich the student experience.
History
St Patrick’s National School was established in 1927 as a small rural school with a principal and an assistant teacher. An extension added six classrooms in 1982, raising enrolment to 184. Further growth led to temporary accommodation, which was replaced by a major extension built between 2012 and 2013, including refurbishment of the 1982 block and a new staff car park. A dedicated autism centre was opened in September 2015. Today the school serves approximately 461 pupils with a permanent staff of 25 teachers and additional support personnel.
Applying to St Patricks 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.
School-published admissions links
These links come from the school's published admissions material. Check the school year shown before relying on dates or place numbers.
National term dates 2026/27
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to St Patricks National 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 Patricks National School
How many pupils attend St Patricks National School?
St Patricks National School has 426 pupils enrolled, 203 girls and 223 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is St Patricks National School a DEIS school?
No. St Patricks 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 Patricks National School?
St Patricks National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.