Planning area in Louth
Drogheda
Schools in County Louth in this planning area.
This planning area also covers 9 schools in Meath. See the whole planning area
- Schools
- 17
- of 69 in Louth
- Pupils
- 6,263
- 37% of Louth's pupils
- Since 2015/16
- +5.0%
- 5,967 pupils in 2015/16
- Average school size
- 368.4
- Louth: 243.4
- Average class size
- 22.20
- Louth: 22.50
Trends in Drogheda
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.
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
6,263
−63 on 2024/25
Schools
17
10 in 1975/76
Average pupils per school
368.4
282.5 in 1975/76
Average class size
22.20
−0.08 on 2024/25
Pupils in these schools
Junior infants, girls and boys, and Irish-medium schools over time, for the same schools as the trends above.
Junior infants
Pupils starting school each year. Class-by-class figures start in 2020/21. 657 in 2025/26, −52 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). 147 pupils in 2025/26, 2.3% of the area's pupils, against 3.5% 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.
15 schools with figures for both years
Schools still filling their classes in 2015/16, and schools opened since, are listed separately.
Average class size in these schools went from 25.0 in 2015/16 to 22.1 in 2025/26. 4 of the 6 schools that fell by 10% or more kept or added classes. A fall in pupils can mean smaller classes rather than fewer children wanting places. Smaller classes
Grown most
Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26
- 1 Presentation ConventDrogheda, Co. Louth 321 → 385 +19.9%
- 2 S N Ard Mhuire CDrogheda, Co. Louth 294 → 315 +7.1%
- 3 St Pauls Senior NSDrogheda, Co. Louth 441 → 466 +5.7%
- 4 Scoil Náisíunta Naomh FeichínDrogheda, Co. Louth 295 → 307 +4.1%
- 5 Scoil na mBraithre SnDrogheda, Co. Louth 345 → 359 +4.1%
Fallen most
Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26
- 1 S N AonghusaDroichead Atha, Co. Louth 211 → 147 −30.3%
- 2 S N Muire gan SmalDrogheda, Co. Louth 254 → 201 −20.9%
- 3 Callystown Mixed N SClogherhead, Co. Louth 319 → 261 −18.2%
- 4 Le Cheile Educate Together NSDrogheda, Co. Louth 438 → 383 −12.6%
- 5 Rathmullan N SDrogheda, Co. Louth 426 → 373 −12.4%
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, a new school nearby or smaller classes can also explain a big rise or fall.
Newer schools
2 schools still filling their classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 928 pupils between them. They aren’t in the figures above.
- St Brigid's and St Patrick's National SchoolDrogheda · figures start 2018/19 575
- Scoil Oilibhéir NaofaDrogheda · opened 2010/11 353
Class sizes
Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to.
- Average class size
- 22.20
- Mainstream classes
- 276
- Classes of 30 or more
- 2
- Schools with a class of 30+
- 2
Teachers
Teachers in the 17 mainstream primary schools here, 2006/07 to 2025/26. Class teachers are counted every year; all teaching posts where they're known.
- Class teachers in 2025/26
- 276
- Up 142 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 79%
- Teaching posts in 2025/26
- about 427
- Estimate: 276 class teachers, 18 principals and deputies, 110 special education and 23 special class teachers
- Teachers in 2015/16
- 346
- The Department's last count of every teacher
- Since 2024/25
- 1 / 3
- 1 school gained a class teacher, 3 lost one
Class teachers since 2006/07
One for each mainstream class, every school year
Special schools and special classes
2 special schools in Drogheda, and the special classes in its 17 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.
- Pupils in special schools
- 238
- In 2 schools, up from 164 in 2015/16
- Special classes in 2025/26
- 23
- In 12 of 17 schools. 11 in 2020/21
- Allocated for 2026/27
- 25
- In 13 schools: 2 new classes, 1 school with its first
- Autism classes
- 20
- 87% of special classes
Special classes since 2020/21
In Drogheda's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists
- 2020/21 11
- 2021/22 13
- 2022/23 15
- 2023/24 18
- 2024/25 19
- 2025/26 23
- 2026/27 25
2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.
| Special school | Pupils | Since 2015/16 | Teaching posts | SNAs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Itas Special SchoolDrogheda · Mild general learning disability | 207 |
+54.5%
|
27 | 30 |
| ABACAS SchoolDrogheda · Autism | 31 | – | 7 | 23 |
Sources: Department of Education enrolment lists; NCSE special class lists and special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).
What parents would prefer
3,263 households answered the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey for the Drogheda planning area: 2,267 with children at its schools and 996 with children not yet at school. Each said whether they would prefer co-educational or single-sex schooling, a denominational or multi-denominational patron, and teaching through Irish or English. These are the whole area's figures, across county lines: the Department doesn't split areas by county.
- Households that answered
- 3,263
- 42% of households asked
- Prefer a multi-denominational patron
- 44% / 47%
- Children at school / not yet at school
- Prefer teaching through Irish
- 17% / 22%
- Children at school / not yet at school
- Prefer single-sex
- 6% / 7%
- Children at school / not yet at school
Preferences beside what the schools offer now
Share of pupils in schools of each kind in the area, and share of parents who would prefer it
- Pupils in such schools now
- Parents: children at school
- Parents: children not yet at school
Multi-denominational patron
1,141 pupils (13%) in 3 schools
Teaching through Irish
530 pupils (6%) in 2 schools
Single-sex
1,428 pupils (17%) in 4 schools
Bars run from 0 to 50%.
Each school's parents
Parents of children at each school. Bold marks the school's set-up now.
| St Marys Parish Primary SchoolDrogheda | 967 | 395 of 736 | ±4.1 | 36% | 9% | 3% | 185 answered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Brigid's and St Patrick's National SchoolDrogheda | 575 | 159 of 434 | ±6.5 | 33% | 9% | 3% | 58 answered |
| St Pauls Senior NSDrogheda | 466 | 119 of 385 | ±7.5 | 35% | 5% | 4% | – |
| S N Tulach AluinnTullyallen | 411 | 101 of 269 | ±8.1 | 42% | 19% | 0% | 38 answered |
| Presentation ConventDrogheda | 385 | 115 of 295 | ±7.6 | 37% | 9% | 8% | 39 answered |
| Gaelscoil an Bhradáin FeasaDroichead Átha | 383 | 121 of 264 | ±7.4 | 74% | 89% | 1% | 81 answered |
| Le Cheile Educate Together NSDrogheda | 383 | 135 of 291 | ±7 | 93% | 9% | 1% | 51 answered |
| Aston Village Educate Together National SchoolDrogheda | 375 | 84 of 284 | ±8.8 | 80% | 7% | 4% | 33 answered |
| Rathmullan N SDrogheda | 373 | 105 of 289 | ±7.9 | 49% | 8% | 3% | – |
| S N Realt na Mara (B)Mornington | 373 | 119 of 305 | ±7.5 | 35% | 9% | 18% | 77 answered |
| S N Realt na Mara (C)Donacarney | 373 | 111 of 312 | ±7.7 | 33% | 9% | 41% | – |
| Scoil na mBraithre SnDrogheda | 359 | 54 of 275 | ±10.9 | 43% | 9% | 2% | – |
| Scoil Oilibhéir NaofaDrogheda | 353 | 62 of 284 | ±10.2 | 34% | 8% | 2% | 30 answered |
| S N Bheinin Naofa CDuleek | 343 | 80 of 265 | ±9 | 46% | 19% | 30% | – |
| S N Bheinn Naofa BDuleek | 339 | 100 of 273 | ±8.1 | 43% | 9% | 25% | 30 answered |
| S N Ard Mhuire CDrogheda | 315 | 103 of 252 | ±8 | 40% | 12% | 4% | 37 answered |
| Scoil Náisíunta Naomh FeichínDrogheda | 307 | 77 of 217 | ±9.2 | 39% | 18% | 0% | – |
| Naomh SeosamhDrogheda | 293 | 91 of 207 | ±8.5 | 34% | 8% | 4% | – |
| Callystown Mixed N SClogherhead | 261 | 57 of 178 | ±10.6 | 37% | 14% | 0% | – |
| S N Muire gan SmalDrogheda | 201 | 39 of 142 | ±12.7 | 38% | 18% | 0% | – |
| S N Dun UabhairDrogheda | 166 | 53 of 122 | ±11 | 49% | 13% | 0% | – |
| S N AonghusaDroichead Atha | 147 | 76 of 116 | ±9.3 | 33% | 95% | 3% | 31 answered |
| S N Naomh ColmcilleDuleek | 109 | 34 of 74 | ±13.6 | 32% | 15% | 0% | – |
| S N Naomh TreasaDrogheda | 105 | 35 of 63 | ±13.4 | 43% | 14% | 0% | – |
| S N Naomh PeadarDrogheda | 92 | 15 of 66 | ±19.5 | 47% | 0% | 13% | – |
| Scoil Naomh PioBeauparc | 59 | 11 of 22 | ±22.2 | 45% | 18% | 0% | – |
Grey margins of error are 15 points or more: so few parents answered that the figures could be well off. “Too few to publish”: the Department held back the school's results, but its parents' answers still count in the area figures. Not yet at school: how many parents of children not yet at school chose the school, shown where 30 or more did. Special schools in the area are counted in the area figures above.
Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. The area figures count each household once, including parents at schools too small for their own results, so they aren't the school figures added up. About these figures
Schools
17 schools, largest first.
Select a column heading to sort
| Roll number | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Marys Parish Primary SchoolDrogheda | 20205G | 967 |
−12.1%
−11.0%
– |
– | 40 | 24.18 | 27 | 0 |
| St Brigid's and St Patrick's National SchoolDrogheda | 20508B | 575 |
+9.5%
–– |
– | 25 | 22.76 | 26 | 0 |
| St Pauls Senior NSDrogheda | 19678T | 466 |
−2.7%
+5.7%
+75.2%
|
+75.2%
|
20 | 22.75 | 25 | 0 |
| S N Tulach AluinnTullyallen | 17726R | 411 |
−16.8%
−9.5%
+81.9%
|
+81.9%
|
17 | 23.12 | 28 | 0 |
| Presentation ConventDrogheda | 00851C | 385 |
+43.7%
+19.9%
+15.6%
|
+15.6%
|
17 | 22.65 | 29 | 0 |
| Le Cheile Educate Together NSDrogheda | 20146Q | 383 |
−8.2%
−12.6%
– |
– | 16 | 23.94 | 27 | 0 |
| Aston Village Educate Together National SchoolDrogheda | 20294I | 375 |
−7.4%
+0.8%
– |
– | 16 | 21.56 | 24 | 0 |
| Rathmullan N SDrogheda | 19479N | 373 |
−1.6%
−12.4%
+19.6%
|
+19.6%
|
22 | 16.64 | 19 | 0 |
| Scoil na mBraithre SnDrogheda | 17059E | 359 |
+28.7%
+4.1%
−7.0%
|
−7.0%
|
16 | 22.06 | 24 | 0 |
| Scoil Oilibhéir NaofaDrogheda | 20349H | 353 |
−12.8%
–– |
– | 15 | 22.73 | 28 | 0 |
| S N Ard Mhuire CDrogheda | 19215C | 315 |
+1.9%
+7.1%
−10.3%
|
−10.3%
|
16 | 19.31 | 22 | 0 |
| Scoil Náisíunta Naomh FeichínDrogheda | 16208N | 307 |
+7.7%
+4.1%
+32.3%
|
+32.3%
|
13 | 22.69 | 27 | 0 |
| Naomh SeosamhDrogheda | 18069M | 293 |
+5.4%
+0.3%
+85.4%
|
+85.4%
|
12 | 24.42 | 30 | 1 |
| Callystown Mixed N SClogherhead | 14252G | 261 |
−15.5%
−18.2%
+7.0%
|
+7.0%
|
10 | 25.10 | 35 | 1 |
| S N Muire gan SmalDrogheda | 18045V | 201 |
−15.5%
−20.9%
−1.5%
|
−1.5%
|
9 | 21.00 | 27 | 0 |
| S N AonghusaDroichead Atha | 19740V | 147 |
−20.5%
−30.3%
−29.0%
|
−29.0%
|
8 | 18.38 | 21 | 0 |
| S N Naomh PeadarDrogheda | 11072M | 92 |
0.0%
−1.1%
−8.9%
|
−8.9%
|
4 | 21.50 | 24 | 0 |
No schools match that filter.