Ballydowd High Support Special School
Palmerstown · Roll number 20390E
- Special school
- Inter Denominational ethos
- Not DEIS
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 7
- +1 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- −22%
- Down 2 from 9 in 2015/16. Opened in 2011/12, so it was still adding classes
- Girls and boys
- 5 / 2
- 71% girls
The Department of Education publishes only the number of pupils, girls and boys in each special school, not pupils by class, so this page has no class or class size figures. Pupils in special schools can be aged 4 to 18. All special schools
Pupils since 2011
Total enrolment each school year
Shaded: the last 10 years, 2015/16 to 2025/26. Until 2010/11 the Department listed special schools with mainstream schools; from 2011/12 they have their own list. Pupils on 30 September each year. Known data issues
Nearby
The special schools closest to Ballydowd High Support Special School, and the mainstream schools within 10 km that have special classes, measured in a straight line.
Nearest special schools
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballydowd High Support Special SchoolThis school | – | 7 | – | |
| 1 | Stewarts School1.8 km · Lucan, Co. Dublin · Moderate general learning disability | 1.8 km | 145 |
+16.9%
|
| 2 | Linn Dara Schools2.2 km · Dublin 10 | 2.2 km | 51 |
+155.0%
|
| 3 | St Michaels Spec School3.4 km · Dublin 20 · Mild general learning disability | 3.4 km | 163 |
+5.2%
|
| 4 | Scoil Mochua4.3 km · Dublin 22 · Physical disability | 4.3 km | 69 |
+9.5%
|
| 5 | Danu Community Special School5.3 km · Dublin 15 · Community special school | 5.3 km | 43 | – |
Special classes within 10 km321 classes in 173 mainstream schools in 2025/26, from the NCSE
| Number on map | School | Distance | Classes | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | St Bernadettes Junior N S0.9 km · 2 autism classes | 0.9 km | 2 | 2 |
| 7 | St Bernadettes Senior N S0.9 km · 2 autism classes | 0.9 km | 2 | 2 |
| 8 | Lucan Educate Together NS1.4 km · 2 autism classes | 1.4 km | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | St Marys Junior N S1.6 km · 2 autism classes | 1.6 km | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | St Marys Sen N S1.6 km · 2 autism classes and a mild general learning disability class | 1.6 km | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Divine Mercy Junior National School1.9 km · 2 autism classes | 1.9 km | 2 | 2 |
| 12 | Divine Mercy Senior National School2.0 km · An autism class2 new classes in 2026/27 | 2.0 km | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Lucan Community National School2.0 km · 2 autism classes | 2.0 km | 2 | 2 |
What parents would prefer
In the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey (November–December 2025), parents said whether they would prefer this school to be co-educational or single-sex, to have a denominational or multi-denominational patron, and to teach through Irish or English. These are preferences, not applications or enrolments.
Too few parents answered for the Department to publish this school's results (1 household were asked). Their answers still count in the Lucan planning area's figures, below.
| Parents of | Multi-denominational | Through Irish | Single-sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucan planning area · children at school | 51% | 22% | 10% |
| Lucan planning area · children not yet at school | 53% | 18% | 10% |
| Ireland · children at school | 44% | 20% | 5% |
| Ireland · children not yet at school | 47% | 26% | 6% |
Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. Planning-area and Ireland figures also count parents at schools where too few answered for the school to get its own results. About these figures
About this school
Inspection reports open on gov.ie, under the name the school had when it was inspected. Newer schools may not have one yet.
Contact
- Principal
- Paul Sloan
- Phone
- 0851441849
- [email protected]
- Address
- 1 Lucan Road, Yellow Walls, Ballyowen, Palmerstown, D20 EW44
School
- Ethos
- Inter Denominational
- Patron
- Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB
- School type
- Special school
- DEIS
- Not DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- No subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- South Dublin County Council
- Planning area
- Lucan
Each detail is the latest one the Department of Education has recorded for this school. The designation is the need the NCSE lists the school as set up for; many special schools now take pupils with a wider range of needs. Known data issues
Data by year
15 school years from 2011/12 to 2025/26.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 2024/25 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 2023/24 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 2022/23 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2021/22 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 2020/21 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2019/20 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 2018/19 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2017/18 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 2016/17 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 2015/16 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| 2014/15 | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| 2013/14 | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| 2012/13 | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| 2011/12 | 8 | 4 | 4 |