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Planning area in Louth

Dundalk

Schools in County Louth in this planning area.

All planning areas in Ireland

Other planning areas in Louth Drogheda · 17 Ardee · 7 Dunleer · 8 Bush · 8
Schools
29
of 69 in Louth
Pupils
7,128
42% of Louth's pupils
Since 2015/16
+9.8%
6,489 pupils in 2015/16
Average school size
245.8
Louth: 243.4
Average class size
22.66
Louth: 22.50

Each year counts the schools in this planning area today, plus any that closed from 2023/24. Dotted lines bridge 1983/84 to 1992/93. 1974/75 is left out because that year's source file is missing five counties.

Earlier years are incomplete

The Department's files only record planning areas from 2023/24, so schools that closed or amalgamated before then aren't counted in any area. The further back you go, the more pupils are missing, and an amalgamation can look like a sudden rise. Across County Louth, schools with no planning area had 3.7% of pupils in 2015/16, 14.8% in 2005/06 and 22.2% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

7,128

+125 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

29

23 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

245.8

238.5 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

22.66

+0.23 on 2024/25

2006/072025/26

Pupils in these schools

Junior infants, girls and boys, and Irish-medium schools over time, for the same schools as the trends above.

Area figures by year (CSV) Each school by year (CSV)

Junior infants

Pupils starting school each year. Class-by-class figures start in 2020/21. 879 in 2025/26, +96 on 2024/25.

Girls and boys

From 1976/77: earlier files don't split every school's pupils into girls and boys.

Irish-medium schools

Pupils in schools that teach all subjects through Irish (1 school today). 214 pupils in 2025/26, 3.0% of the area's pupils, against 3.3% in 2015/16. Each school counts under its current classification for every year.

Growing and falling since 2015/16

Each school's change in pupils over 10 years, from 2015/16 to 2025/26. A change of 10% or more either way counts as growing or falling.

Every school's change

29 schools with figures for both years

5fell by 10% or more
12within 10%
12grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 0Down 10 to 25% · 5Within 10% · 12Up 10 to 25% · 7Up 25% or more · 5

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 St. Francis National SchoolDundalk, Co. Louth 196 → 441 +125.0%
  2. 2 S N an Tslanaitheora BDundalk, Co. Louth 84 → 169 +101.2%
  3. 3 Faughart Community National SchoolDundalk, Co. Louth 59 → 102 +72.9%
  4. 4 S N an Tslanaitheora CDundalk, Co. Louth 100 → 160 +60.0%
  5. 5 S N N Maolmhaodhagh BDundalk, Co. Louth 201 → 246 +22.4%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 Dulargy Mixed N SRavensdale, Co. Louth 194 → 150 −22.7%
  2. 2 SN Chill SarainCastlebellingham, Co. Louth 201 → 161 −19.9%
  3. 3 Bellurgan N SDundalk, Co. Louth 139 → 112 −19.4%
  4. 4 Scoil Dairbhre MixedDundalk, Co. Louth 86 → 71 −17.4%
  5. 5 S N N Maolmhaodhagh NDundalk, Co. Louth 253 → 220 −13.0%

Ranked by percentage change. Only schools with 50 or more pupils in 2015/16 are ranked, leaving out any still filling their classes then, because a few pupils make a big percentage in a small or new school. An amalgamation or a new school nearby can also explain a big rise or fall.

Class sizes

Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to.

Average class size
22.66
Mainstream classes
304
Classes of 30 or more
20
Schools with a class of 30+
11

Teachers

Teachers in the 29 mainstream primary schools here, 2006/07 to 2025/26. Class teachers are counted every year; all teaching posts where they're known.

How we count teachers
Class teachers in 2025/26
304
Up 78 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 24%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 480
Estimate: 304 class teachers, 25 principals and deputies, 110 special education and 41 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
376
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
5 / 5
5 schools gained a class teacher, 5 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Special schools and special classes

1 special school in Dundalk, and the special classes in its 29 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools
Pupils in special schools
104
In 1 school, up from 103 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26
41
In 18 of 29 schools. 17 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
44
In 20 schools: 3 new classes, 2 schools with their first
Autism classes
33
80% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In Dundalk's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

  • 2020/21 17
  • 2021/22 19
  • 2022/23 23
  • 2023/24 29
  • 2024/25 37
  • 2025/26 41
  • 2026/27 44

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special school Pupils Since 2015/16 Teaching posts SNAs
St Brighids Special SCHDundalk · Mild general learning disability 104
+1.0%
15 21

Sources: Department of Education enrolment lists; NCSE special class lists and special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).

Schools

29 schools, largest first.

Change over

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Roll number
Scoil Mhuire na nGaelDundalk 19598V 624
−9.6%
26 23.08 30 1
St Josephs N SDundalk 19673J 574
+10.4%
26 21.58 25 0
C.B.S. PrimaryDundalk 17195M 524
+18.8%
21 24.67 30 3
Scoil na gCreagacha DubhaBlackrock 15285D 503
+19.5%
19 26.16 33 5
Réalt na Mara SchoolDundalk 20339E 467
+6.1%
19 23.00 29 0
St. Francis National SchoolDundalk 20259G 441
+125.0%
16 26.81 30 1
Knockbridge Mixed N SDundalk 15101N 285
+0.7%
13 21.92 32 1
S N N Maolmhaodhagh BDundalk 18504E 246
+22.4%
10 24.60 32 2
Dromiskin Mixed N SDundalk 16760M 234
+2.6%
9 24.11 33 1
S N N Maolmhaodhagh CDundalk 15259C 233
+9.9%
9 25.89 35 3
Scoil FhursaDundalk 17550G 229
+20.5%
9 24.78 32 1
S N N Maolmhaodhagh NDundalk 15260K 220
−13.0%
9 24.44 26 0
Gaelscoil Dhun DealganDún Dealgan 19892V 214
0.0%
12 17.33 27 0
Scoil Phadraig NaofaDundalk 18186Q 206
−6.4%
8 25.75 29 0
Castletown RD ConventDundalk 14651U 191
+16.5%
10 19.10 23 0
Scoil Mhuire gan SmálDundalk 16749B 189
−9.1%
8 23.62 29 0
St. Mochta's National SchoolLouth Village 01553W 181
+6.5%
8 21.12 29 0
S N an Tslanaitheora BDundalk 19246N 169
+101.2%
8 19.62 28 0
S.N Eoin BaisteDundalk 20163Q 164
−5.7%
8 19.75 28 0
St Nicholas Monastery NSDundalk 16469S 164
−3.0%
8 19.75 25 0
SN Chill SarainCastlebellingham 14207B 161
−19.9%
7 19.57 28 0
S N an Tslanaitheora CDundalk 19247P 160
+60.0%
8 16.38 19 0
Dulargy Mixed N SRavensdale 13670T 150
−22.7%
6 25.00 30 1
S N San NioclasDundalk 18347O 148
+22.3%
6 22.83 24 0
Bellurgan N SDundalk 16249E 112
−19.4%
5 20.00 27 0
Faughart Community National SchoolDundalk 18391R 102
+72.9%
4 25.50 31 1
Dun Dealgan N SDundalk 14069P 84
0.0%
4 21.00 26 0
Scoil BhrideHackballscross 18382Q 82
+203.7%
4 19.00 24 0
Scoil Dairbhre MixedDundalk 17315T 71
−17.4%
4 17.75 24 0