Mercy Primary School
Chapel Lane, Birr, Co. Offaly · R42 TX89 · Roll number 03220F
Mercy Primary School is one of 6 primary schools in or within 3 km of Birr. Every school in and around Birr →
What stands out about Mercy Primary School
- 141 pupils, near the middle for primary schools in Ireland (the median is 131).
- About as many pupils as in 2019/20 (−2%).
- Teaches through English, with Irish as a subject.
- In DEIS. DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) gives schools serving disadvantaged areas more teachers, money and support; the Department decides which schools are in it.
- A girls’ school.
- Has special classes for children who need more support.
- Its patron is the Bishop of Killaloe; its ethos is Catholic.
Pupils over time
2015/16 to 2025/26Mercy Primary School had 141 pupils in 2025/26, down from 173 in 2015/16 (−18%). Its roll rose in 3 of the 10 years.
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September each year; girls and boys where the lists give them.
No letter for Mercy Primary School
Ireland publishes no exam results school by school, and section 53 of the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing schools by them, so this school has no letter and nothing here ranks it. Its facts are the Department of Education’s; its inspection reports are linked below.
What the Department of Education does publish for Mercy Primary School is on this page: its pupils each September since 2015/16, girls and boys, its patron and ethos, whether it teaches through Irish, whether it is in DEIS, and its inspection reports.
Newspapers print lists of how many of a school’s leavers go on to college. Those count destinations, not exam results, and depend on who a school takes in; we don’t use them.
Inspection reports on Mercy Primary School
The Department of Education’s Inspectorate visits schools and publishes its reports. The reports describe what inspectors saw; they give no overall grade, and we don’t make one. Reports for this school on gov.ie ↗
Inspectors visit every kind of school. Whole-school evaluations look at teaching and learning, leadership and management; subject inspections look at one subject; follow-through inspections check whether earlier advice was taken. Each report is published on gov.ie with the school’s response.
Getting a place at Mercy Primary School
Every school admits under its own published admission policy; no admissions numbers are published.
Families apply to Mercy Primary School directly. Children can start once they are four and must be in school by six; the school’s yearly admission notice gives the dates for applying and for its decisions.
A school with more applicants than places admits on the criteria in its admission policy, often brothers and sisters, the area it serves and, for post-primary schools, its feeder primaries. A family refused a place can appeal.
It takes girls only. It is in DEIS, so it has extra support for pupils from disadvantaged areas. Places in special classes and special schools are allocated with the National Council for Special Education.
No figures on applications are published, but the roll shows demand: Mercy Primary School is about the size it was in 2019/20 (−2%). All the schools around Birr together changed by +4%.
Pupils since 2019/20
Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018; Department of Education enrolments 2019/20 and 2025/26 (preliminary).
Side by side with the nearest primary schools
2025/26The nearest schools of the same kind, as the crow flies: their pupils, ethos and language. No results: none are published.
Of the 6 nearest primary schools, 2 have more pupils than Mercy Primary School. Since 2019/20 its roll has changed by −2%; 4 of the 6 grew faster.
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Primary School | 141 | −2% | Catholic | English | ✓ | |
| St Brendans Monastery | 178 | −8% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 0.3 km |
| S.N. Osmann | 86 | +4% | Church of Ireland | English | ✓ | 0.9 km |
| Gaelscoil na Laochra | 45 | +29% | Multi-denominational | All in Irish | 1.4 km | |
| Croinchoill N.S. | 243 | +1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 1.7 km |
| S.N. an Cillin | 140 | +19% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 2 km |
| Carrig N.S. | 60 | −9% | Catholic | English | 5.3 km |
The other 62 primary schools in Co. Offaly
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Naomh Eoin | 148 | +23% | Catholic | English | 8.5 km | |
| Seir Kierans N.S. | 71 | +20% | Catholic | English | 8.7 km | |
| Coolderry Central N.S. | 82 | −10% | Catholic | English | 10 km | |
| St Cronans Mixed N.S. | 72 | +13% | Catholic | English | 11 km | |
| St Rynaghs N.S. | 249 | +1% | Catholic | English | 12 km | |
| Shinrone Mixed N.S. | 121 | +1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 12 km |
| Ceann Eitigh N.S. | 132 | +15% | Catholic | English | 13 km | |
| S.N. Ros Com Rua | 21 | −28% | Catholic | English | 13 km | |
| S.N. Chiarain Naofa | 29 | – | Catholic | English | 14 km | |
| S.N. Cronain Naofa | 171 | −21% | Catholic | English | 14 km | |
| St Marys National School | 93 | −4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 15 km |
| Scoil Mhuire Agus Chormaic | 109 | +5% | Catholic | Some subjects in Irish | ✓ | 15 km |
| S.N. Lomchluana | 33 | −23% | Catholic | English | 16 km | |
| S.N. Caoimhin Naofa | 67 | −17% | Catholic | English | 16 km | |
| S.N. Bhride | 111 | +14% | Catholic | English | 17 km | |
| High St Mixed N.S. | 73 | +14% | Catholic | English | 18 km | |
| S.N. Mhuire Bainrioghan | 76 | +23% | Catholic | English | 20 km | |
| St. Cynoc's National School | 189 | −4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 21 km |
| Mount Bolus N.S. | 25 | −29% | Catholic | English | 22 km | |
| S.N. Mhuire | 72 | +6% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| S.N. Seosamh | 108 | +29% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| S.N. Muire Naofa | 64 | −27% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 24 km |
| S.N. Naomh Callin | 69 | −9% | Catholic | English | 25 km | |
| S.N. Seosamh | 97 | +31% | Catholic | English | 26 km | |
| S.N. Chiarain Naofa | 83 | +17% | Catholic | English | 26 km | |
| S N Chartaigh Naofa | 147 | −21% | Catholic | English | 28 km | |
| St Ciarans Mixed N.S. | 110 | −12% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 29 km |
| Scoil Colmain Naofa | 322 | +5% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| Ballykilmurry N.S. | 199 | −6% | Catholic | English | 32 km | |
| Shinchill N.S. | 286 | +3% | Catholic | English | 34 km | |
| Scoil Mhuire | 249 | −20% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 34 km |
| S.N. Naomh Brighde Buach | 116 | −32% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 34 km |
| S.N. Phroinsiais Naofa | 186 | −14% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 34 km |
| Clara Convent N.S. | 180 | −17% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 34 km |
| Arden Boys N.S. | 215 | +4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 35 km |
| St. Joseph's N.S. | 360 | −12% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 35 km |
| S.N. Naomh Philomena | 164 | −7% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 35 km |
| Charleville N.S. | 173 | +92% | Church of Ireland | English | 35 km | |
| Gaelscoil an Eiscir Riada | 185 | −11% | Catholic | All in Irish | 35 km | |
| Tullamore Educate Together NS | 236 | +7% | Multi-denominational | English | 35 km | |
| S.N. Mhanachain | 176 | +5% | Catholic | English | 36 km | |
| Clonaghadoo N.S. | 81 | −24% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Cholumchille | 197 | −8% | Catholic | English | 38 km | |
| S.N. Peadar agus Pol | 15 | −52% | Catholic | English | 40 km | |
| Geashill 1 N.S. | 126 | −2% | Catholic | English | 42 km | |
| S.N. Sheosaimh Naofa | 193 | +7% | Catholic | English | 43 km | |
| Cloneyhurke N.S. | 18 | −40% | Catholic | English | 43 km | |
| S.N. Mhuire | 124 | −8% | Catholic | English | 43 km | |
| St Colmans N.S. | 97 | −14% | Catholic | English | 44 km | |
| Daingean N.S. | 261 | +4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 47 km |
| Naomh Mhuire N.S. | 83 | −6% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 48 km |
| Scoil Bhride | 70 | −23% | Catholic | English | 50 km | |
| S.N. Mhuire Naofa | 91 | −40% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 55 km |
| S.N. Naomh Brogain | 72 | −14% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 56 km |
| Clonbullogue N.S. | 84 | −9% | Catholic | English | 58 km | |
| S.N. Phadraig | 124 | −2% | Catholic | English | 58 km | |
| Scoil Bhríde Primary School | 480 | −24% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 62 km |
| Gaelscoil Éadan Doire | 69 | −32% | Catholic | All in Irish | ✓ | 62 km |
| Edenderry 2 N.S. | 48 | −27% | Church of Ireland | English | 62 km | |
| Castlejordan Central N.S. | 79 | −7% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 62 km |
| St Patrick's National School | 192 | −13% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 63 km |
| Edenderry Convent N.S. | 429 | +12% | Catholic | English | 63 km |
Living in Birr
The town’s figures, not this street’s.
Homes in the R42 Eircode area
Housing in Birr →The median sale price rose from €180,000 in 2023 to €240,000 in 2025 (+33%).
New against second-hand, 2023 to 2025
Property Price Register sales in the R42 Eircode routing area, 2023 to 2025.
Renting in Birr
Cost of living in Birr →New tenancies in Birr averaged €1,034 a month in 2025, against €879 in 2024 (+18%).
Residential Tenancies Board rent index, new tenancies, 2024 and 2025.
Location
Directions ↗Birr, R42 TX89
Primary schools near Mercy Primary School
Nearest first, as the crow flies, up to 25 km. Each school’s own admission policy decides who gets a place.
Questions about Mercy Primary School
Is Mercy Primary School a good school?
We don’t grade it: Ireland publishes no exam results school by school, and section 53 of the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them. Its inspection reports on gov.ie, a visit and a talk with the principal will tell you more than any table could.
How many pupils does Mercy Primary School have?
141 pupils in 2025/26. That is −2% since 2019/20.
Does Mercy Primary School teach through Irish?
No: Mercy Primary School teaches in English, with Irish as a subject.
Who runs Mercy Primary School?
Mercy Primary School has a Catholic ethos. Its patron is Bishop of Killaloe.
How do pupils get a place at Mercy Primary School?
Apply to the school directly. It publishes an admission policy and a yearly admission notice with its dates; if more children apply than it has places, it admits on the criteria in its policy.
Which schools of the same kind are near Mercy Primary School?
The nearest are St Brendans Monastery (0.3 km), S.N. Osmann (0.9 km) and Gaelscoil na Laochra (1.4 km).
Sources: Department of Education, school lists 2025/26 (preliminary) and enrolments since 2015/16, CC BY 4.0 · inspection reports on gov.ie, linked by roll number. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Facts from the Department of Education’s school lists. Listed with Birr; nothing here rates the school.
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).