Principal’s Message
Fáilte go St. Mary’s – Bliain Scoile 2026–2027
It is a great privilege to welcome all our pupils, parents, families and staff back to St. Mary’s for the 2026–2027 school year.
St. Mary’s is an all-boys’ primary school in Rathfarnham, situated approximately 6 kilometres from Dublin city centre and at the foothills of the Dublin Mountains. We are fortunate to be surrounded by some beautiful parks, including Rathfarnham Castle Park, St. Enda’s Park (The Hermitage) and Marlay Park. Rathfarnham is a wonderful place to live, learn and grow, with a rich history and a strong sense of community.
We currently have 367 boys in our school, with an average class size of 24 pupils. We have 15 mainstream classes and one autism class. Our school team includes 10 educational support teachers, 10 SNAs, a full-time secretary and a part-time caretaker.
We are fortunate to have a dedicated and committed staff who work tirelessly to provide the very best educational experiences for our boys. Above all, we want every boy in St. Mary’s to feel valued, supported and proud to be part of our school community.
We are committed to creating an inclusive school where every child is respected, valued and supported to participate fully in school life. St. Mary’s has a Catholic ethos, while warmly welcoming children and families of all faiths and backgrounds. We encourage our boys to develop values of kindness, respect, compassion and care for others.
At St. Mary’s, we are very proud of the wide range of extracurricular activities and opportunities we provide for our boys. We believe that school life extends beyond the classroom and that every child should have opportunities to discover their talents, develop their confidence and experience success.
Music continues to play an important part in school life. Our choir practises every Wednesday and, during the year, will have the opportunity to perform at a number of special events. These include the Music for Peace concert in the National Concert Hall, the Peace Proms in the RDS, as well as the First Communion and Confirmation celebrations in our local Rathfarnham Church.
Sport is hugely popular among our pupils. We have four school teams participating in the Cumann na mBunscol Gaelic Football competitions and three school hurling teams. There is an opportunity for all boys from fourth to sixth class who wish to participate. Our internal football and hurling leagues are always hugely popular.
Athletics is an important part of our sporting programme, with boys representing the school at the Terenure College Cross Country Races and the Santry Dublin Athletics competitions.
We have an active and enthusiastic Student Council. The Council meets regularly to share ideas, express opinions and contribute to the life of our school. We value the voices of our pupils and believe that our boys should have an active role in shaping the school community of which they are such an important part. This year, the Student Council will produce four digital newsletters, providing another opportunity for our pupils to have their voices heard.
Our Green Schools’ Committee and Wellbeing Committee play an important role in school life, organising events and activities throughout the year and encouraging our pupils to take an active role in creating a positive, healthy and sustainable school environment.
Our Active School Committee encourages our boys to be active and involved in a wide range of physical activities throughout the school year. The committee helps to promote an active and healthy lifestyle across the school.
We greatly value the support and partnership of our parents and guardians and recognise the important role they play in the education and development of their children. Our Parents’ Association makes a valuable contribution to school life, supporting the school and helping to organise activities and events for our boys.
Working together with our families, we can provide the encouragement and support that enables every boy to reach his potential.
I wish everyone a very happy, successful and enjoyable school year 2026–2027.
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir for helping to make St. Mary’s such a happy place to learn and grow.
Le gach dea-ghuí,
Don O’Neill
Príomhoide
