Mercy Primary School
Birr · Roll number 03220F
- Catholic ethos
- DEIS
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 141
- +2 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- −18%
- Down 32 from 173 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 141 / 0
- 100% girls
Pupils since 1974
Total enrolment each school year
Shaded: the last 10 years, 2015/16 to 2025/26. 1983/84 is left out because its source file is incomplete, and no files exist for 1984/85 to 1992/93. Known data issues
Pupils by class
Published for each class from 2020/21.
This year, 2025/26
141 pupils across 8 classes
Every class, every year
Darker cells have more pupils. A group of pupils moves down one class and right one year.
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Infants | 11 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 21 | 14.7 |
| Senior Infants | 13 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 19 | 13.7 |
| 1st Class | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12.3 |
| 2nd Class | 19 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 14.8 |
| 3rd Class | 20 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 14 | 16.7 |
| 4th Class | 24 | 20 | 19 | 13 | 19 | 20 | 19.2 |
| 5th Class | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 18.5 |
| 6th Class | 23 | 16 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18.8 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
18 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 19 in Senior Infants (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 18Junior Infants2024/25
- 19Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
10 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 13 in 1st Class (2025/26): 3 pupils more.
- 10Junior Infants2023/24
- 14Senior Infants2024/25
- 131st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
14 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 17 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 3 pupils more.
- 14Junior Infants2022/23
- 12Senior Infants2023/24
- 141st Class2024/25
- 172nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
14 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 14 in 3rd Class (2025/26): no change.
- 14Junior Infants2021/22
- 14Senior Infants2022/23
- 131st Class2023/24
- 142nd Class2024/25
- 143rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
11 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 20 in 4th Class (2025/26): 9 pupils more.
- 11Junior Infants2020/21
- 10Senior Infants2021/22
- 111st Class2022/23
- 142nd Class2023/24
- 203rd Class2024/25
- 204th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
13 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 21 in 5th Class (2025/26): 8 pupils more.
- 13Senior Infants2020/21
- 121st Class2021/22
- 142nd Class2022/23
- 163rd Class2023/24
- 194th Class2024/25
- 215th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
11 in 1st Class (2020/21), 16 in 6th Class (2025/26): 5 pupils more.
- 111st Class2020/21
- 112nd Class2021/22
- 133rd Class2022/23
- 134th Class2023/24
- 165th Class2024/25
- 166th Class2025/26
In 2nd Class in 2020/21
19 in 2nd Class (2020/21), 18 in 6th Class (2024/25): 1 pupil fewer.
- 192nd Class2020/21
- 173rd Class2021/22
- 194th Class2022/23
- 175th Class2023/24
- 186th Class2024/25
In 3rd Class in 2020/21
20 in 3rd Class (2020/21), 18 in 6th Class (2023/24): 2 pupils fewer.
- 203rd Class2020/21
- 204th Class2021/22
- 205th Class2022/23
- 186th Class2023/24
In 4th Class in 2020/21
24 in 4th Class (2020/21), 22 in 6th Class (2022/23): 2 pupils fewer.
- 244th Class2020/21
- 205th Class2021/22
- 226th Class2022/23
In 5th Class in 2020/21
17 in 5th Class (2020/21), 16 in 6th Class (2021/22): 1 pupil fewer.
- 175th Class2020/21
- 166th Class2021/22
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +8Junior Infants in 2024/25 (10 to 18)
- −82nd Class in 2021/22 (19 to 11)
Class sizes
Mainstream class groups, 2006/07 to 2025/26.
Why these won't match pupils by class
Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to. So these figures won't match the pupils-by-class figures exactly.
In 2025/26. Choose a figure to chart it.
Class sizes over time
Average class size, 2006/07 to 2025/26
Teachers
Who teaches at Mercy Primary School, 2006/07 to 2025/26.
How we count teachers
Class teachers come from the Department of Education's class sizes: one for each mainstream class. Special education and special class teachers are the posts the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates. We add a principal who doesn't teach a class where the Department's rules give the school one. These are posts, not people: part of a post can be a teacher shared with another school. Up to 2015/16 the Department counted every teacher itself. Known data issues
In 2025/26
13.4teaching posts
Our estimate: about 13 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 8 mainstream classes 8
- PrincipalRuns the school and doesn't teach a class 1
- Special education teachers85 hours of support teaching a week 3.4
- Special class teachersFor an autism class 1
2 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils. 6 pupils are in special classes, which the class sizes leave out.
The NCSE has allocated 3.4 special education teachers, 2 special class teachers and 3 SNAs for next year.
Teachers since 2006/07
Teachers each school year, by role
To 2015/16: the Department of Education's count of every teacher. From 2019/20: our estimate, from class sizes and the NCSE's allocations. Dashed boxes: no special education figures were published for those years, so only class teachers and the principal are shown. Known data issues
Sources: Department of Education class sizes and teacher counts; NCSE school allocations and special classes (CC BY 4.0).
Nearby schools
The 6 primary schools closest to Mercy Primary School, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Primary SchoolThis school | – | 141 |
−18.5%
|
|
| 1 | St Brendans Monastery0.3 km · Birr · Boys · DEIS | 0.3 km | 178 |
−18.7%
|
| 2 | S N Osmann0.9 km · Birr · Church of Ireland · DEIS | 0.9 km | 86 |
−1.1%
|
| 3 | Gaelscoil na Laochra1.4 km · Birr · Gaelscoil · Multi-denominational | 1.4 km | 45 |
+114.3%
|
| 4 | Croinchoill N S1.7 km · Birr · DEIS | 1.7 km | 243 |
+19.1%
|
| 5 | S N an Cillin2.0 km · Birr · DEIS | 2.0 km | 140 |
+32.1%
|
| 6 | Carrig N S5.3 km · Birr | 5.3 km | 60 |
−21.1%
|
About this school
Inspection reports open on gov.ie, under the name the school had when it was inspected. They describe specific areas of the school's work rather than giving an overall grade. Newer schools may not have one yet.
Contact
- Principal
- Barbara Hanamy
- Phone
- 0579120259
- [email protected]
- Address
- Chapel Lane, Birr, Co. Offaly, R42 TX89
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Patron
- Bishop of Killaloe
- School type
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- School level
- All Through
- DEIS
- DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- No subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- Offaly County Council
- Planning area
- Birr
Each detail is the latest one the Department of Education has recorded for this school. If a detail was left blank in 2025/26, we show it from an earlier year, so some details may be older than the pupil numbers. Known data issues
Data by year
43 school years from 1974/75 to 2025/26. Class figures start in 2020/21.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys | JI | SI | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 141 | 141 | 0 | 21 | 19 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 20 | 21 | 16 |
| 2024/25 | 139 | 139 | – | 18 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 18 |
| 2023/24 | 118 | 118 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 18 |
| 2022/23 | 132 | 132 | – | 14 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 20 | 22 |
| 2021/22 | 125 | 125 | – | 14 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 |
| 2020/21 | 143 | 143 | – | 11 | 13 | 11 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 17 | 23 |
| 2019/20 | 144 | 144 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 150 | 150 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 159 | 159 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 159 | 159 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 173 | 173 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 191 | 191 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 210 | 210 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 219 | 219 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 215 | 215 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 233 | 233 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 231 | 231 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 239 | 239 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 233 | 233 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 226 | 226 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 224 | 224 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 215 | 215 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 228 | 228 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 225 | 225 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 233 | 233 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 223 | 223 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999/00 | 234 | 234 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1998/99 | 222 | 222 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1997/98 | 247 | 247 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1996/97 | 244 | 244 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1995/96 | 239 | 239 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1994/95 | 248 | 248 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1993/94 | 250 | 250 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1983/84 | 341 | 341 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1982/83 | 364 | 364 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1981/82 | 360 | 360 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1980/81 | 360 | 360 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1979/80 | 367 | 367 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1978/79 | 380 | 380 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1977/78 | 392 | 392 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1976/77 | 385 | 385 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1975/76 | 385 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1974/75 | 392 | 392 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |