School planning area

Dunleer

Name: Primary school enrolment in the Dunleer planning area
Creator: Department of Education

8 primary schools and 1,157 pupils in 2025/26, in County Louth.

Pupils in 2025/26: 1,157; −13 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16: −11.1%; 1,301 pupils in 2015/16
Schools: 8; No change on 2024/25
Average class size: 23.04; Average school size: 144.6

Trends in Dunleer

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

1,157

−13 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

8 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

144.6

122.6 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

23.04

−0.56 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. 137 in 2025/26, +7 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

No school in this area teaches all subjects through Irish.

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

8 schools with figures for both years

6fell by 10% or more

2within 10%

0grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 0Down 10 to 25% · 6Within 10% · 2Up 10 to 25% · 0Up 25% or more · 0

Sort the table below by the change column to see which schools grew or fell most.

Class sizes

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

Average class size: 23.04
Mainstream classes: 47
Classes of 30 or more: 7
Schools with a class of 30+: 4

Teachers

Teachers in the 8 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: 47; Up 10 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 12%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 87; Estimate: 47 class teachers, 6 principals and deputies, 21 special education and 13 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 72; The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25: 1 / 1; 1 school gained a class teacher, 1 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Special schools and special classes

1 special school in the Dunleer planning area, and the special classes in its 8 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools

Pupils in special schools: 111; In 1 school, up from 71 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26: 13; In 7 of 8 schools. 4 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27: 13; In 7 schools
Autism classes: 9; 69% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In the Dunleer planning area's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

2020/21 4
2021/22 5
2022/23 7
2023/24 9
2024/25 11
2025/26 13
2026/27 13

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special schools in the Dunleer planning area
Special school	Pupils	Since 2015/16	Teaching posts	SNAs
St Marys Special SCHDrumcar · Moderate general learning disability	111	+56.3%	18	43

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

Schools

8 schools, largest first. A dash in the change column means the school had no pupils recorded in that year, usually because it opened later or took a new roll number after an amalgamation.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

	Roll number
Scoil Bhride Mixed N SDunleer	18148I	202	−13.3%	8	24.50	34	2
S N Tigh an LubhairDunleer	18635T	192	−12.3%	8	23.38	33	2
S N PadraigDrogheda	19223B	172	−16.5%	7	23.00	27	0
S N ColumcilleDrogheda	01434O	151	−17.5%	6	21.33	28	0
S N Chaoimhin NaofaDunleer	18019U	148	+8.0%	6	23.67	33	2
S N Naomh FhionainDunleer	17952D	100	+1.0%	4	22.25	25	0
Dromin N SDunleer	06576N	97	−12.6%	4	24.25	30	1
Walshestown N SClogherhead	03787L	95	−15.9%	4	20.75	23	0