St Mary's National School
Lifford · Roll number 14910S
- Catholic ethos
- DEIS
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 155
- +4 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- +1%
- Up 2 from 153 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 79 / 76
- 51% 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
155 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 | 16 | 20 | 14 | 26 | 15 | 13 | 17.3 |
| Senior Infants | 14 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 25 | 17 | 18.2 |
| 1st Class | 18 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 16 | 27 | 18.8 |
| 2nd Class | 13 | 19 | 16 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 18.5 |
| 3rd Class | 16 | 13 | 18 | 15 | 21 | 21 | 17.3 |
| 4th Class | 10 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 23 | 16.7 |
| 5th Class | 18 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 6th Class | 18 | 18 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 16.5 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
15 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 17 in Senior Infants (2025/26): 2 pupils more.
- 15Junior Infants2024/25
- 17Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
26 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 27 in 1st Class (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 26Junior Infants2023/24
- 25Senior Infants2024/25
- 271st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
14 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 19 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 5 pupils more.
- 14Junior Infants2022/23
- 16Senior Infants2023/24
- 161st Class2024/25
- 192nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
20 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 21 in 3rd Class (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 20Junior Infants2021/22
- 20Senior Infants2022/23
- 211st Class2023/24
- 212nd Class2024/25
- 213rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
16 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 23 in 4th Class (2025/26): 7 pupils more.
- 16Junior Infants2020/21
- 17Senior Infants2021/22
- 171st Class2022/23
- 232nd Class2023/24
- 213rd Class2024/25
- 234th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
14 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 16 in 5th Class (2025/26): 2 pupils more.
- 14Senior Infants2020/21
- 141st Class2021/22
- 162nd Class2022/23
- 153rd Class2023/24
- 154th Class2024/25
- 165th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
18 in 1st Class (2020/21), 19 in 6th Class (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 181st Class2020/21
- 192nd Class2021/22
- 183rd Class2022/23
- 204th Class2023/24
- 185th Class2024/25
- 196th Class2025/26
In 2nd Class in 2020/21
13 in 2nd Class (2020/21), 17 in 6th Class (2024/25): 4 pupils more.
- 132nd Class2020/21
- 133rd Class2021/22
- 154th Class2022/23
- 175th Class2023/24
- 176th Class2024/25
In 3rd Class in 2020/21
16 in 3rd Class (2020/21), 17 in 6th Class (2023/24): 1 pupil more.
- 163rd Class2020/21
- 174th Class2021/22
- 175th Class2022/23
- 176th Class2023/24
In 4th Class in 2020/21
10 in 4th Class (2020/21), 10 in 6th Class (2022/23): no change.
- 104th Class2020/21
- 105th Class2021/22
- 106th Class2022/23
In 5th Class in 2020/21
18 in 5th Class (2020/21), 18 in 6th Class (2021/22): no change.
- 185th Class2020/21
- 186th Class2021/22
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +12Junior Infants in 2023/24 (14 to 26)
- −11Junior Infants in 2024/25 (26 to 15)
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 St Mary's National 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
9.4teaching posts
Our estimate: about 9 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 6 mainstream classes 6
- PrincipalAlso teaches one of the classes, so is counted with the class teachers in a class
- Special education teachers60 hours of support teaching a week 2.4
- Special class teachersFor an autism class 1
5.83 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils. 5 pupils are in special classes, which the class sizes leave out.
The NCSE has allocated 2.5 special education teachers, 1 special class teacher and 5.83 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. Where there's no principal bar, the principal also taught a class. 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 St Mary's National School, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's National SchoolThis school | – | 155 |
+1.3%
|
|
| 1 | S N Domhnach Mor2.9 km · Castlefin · Presbyterian · DEIS | 2.9 km | 22 |
−47.6%
|
| 2 | SN Naomh Samhthann3.2 km · Castlefin · DEIS | 3.2 km | 40 |
−52.4%
|
| 3 | Scoil Cholmcille Naofa3.7 km · Castlefin · DEIS | 3.7 km | 17 |
−63.8%
|
| 4 | Scoil Cuilm Cille4.9 km · Lifford · DEIS | 4.9 km | 38 |
+5.6%
|
| 5 | Killygordan N S5.8 km · Lifford · Church of Ireland · DEIS | 5.8 km | 22 |
−18.5%
|
| 6 | S N an Droim Mor5.9 km · Lifford · DEIS | 5.9 km | 229 |
+9.0%
|
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
- Sharon Murray
- Phone
- 0749146206
- [email protected]
- Address
- Castlefinn, Lifford, F93 FD92
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Patron
- Bishop of Derry
- 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
- Donegal County Council
- Planning area
- Stranorlar
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
42 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 | 155 | 79 | 76 | 13 | 17 | 27 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 16 | 19 |
| 2024/25 | 151 | 77 | 74 | 15 | 25 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 18 | 17 |
| 2023/24 | 155 | 77 | 78 | 26 | 16 | 21 | 23 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 17 |
| 2022/23 | 127 | 63 | 64 | 14 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 10 |
| 2021/22 | 128 | 61 | 67 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 17 | 10 | 18 |
| 2020/21 | 123 | 60 | 63 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 10 | 18 | 18 |
| 2019/20 | 124 | 61 | 63 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 126 | 61 | 65 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 127 | 67 | 60 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 137 | 71 | 66 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 153 | 79 | 74 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 156 | 79 | 77 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 163 | 72 | 91 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 160 | 67 | 93 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 158 | 66 | 92 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 173 | 79 | 94 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 187 | 82 | 105 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 194 | 85 | 109 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 205 | 92 | 113 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 207 | 94 | 113 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 216 | 105 | 111 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 213 | 104 | 109 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 225 | 109 | 116 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 232 | 108 | 124 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 242 | 116 | 126 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 245 | 115 | 130 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999/00 | 253 | 119 | 134 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1998/99 | 258 | 118 | 140 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1997/98 | 270 | 126 | 144 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1996/97 | 274 | 132 | 142 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1995/96 | 287 | 139 | 148 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1994/95 | 292 | 144 | 148 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1993/94 | 283 | 139 | 144 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1982/83 | 283 | 123 | 160 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1981/82 | 298 | 125 | 173 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1980/81 | 284 | 120 | 164 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1979/80 | 274 | 128 | 146 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1978/79 | 265 | 132 | 133 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1977/78 | 244 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1976/77 | 121 | 0 | 121 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1975/76 | 119 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1974/75 | 109 | 0 | 109 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |