S.N. Phoil Naofa
Lyster Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath · N37 E973 · Roll number 18405C
S.N. Phoil Naofa is one of 12 primary schools in or within 3 km of Athlone. Every school in and around Athlone →
What stands out about S.N. Phoil Naofa
- 125 pupils, near the middle for primary schools in Ireland (the median is 131).
- About as many pupils as in 2019/20 (−9%).
- 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.
- Has special classes for children who need more support.
- Its patron is the Bishop of Elphin; its ethos is Catholic.
Pupils over time
2015/16 to 2025/26S.N. Phoil Naofa had 125 pupils in 2025/26, down from 186 in 2015/16 (−33%). Girls are 52% of them. Its roll rose in 2 of the 10 years.
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September each year; girls and boys where the lists give them.
No letter for S.N. Phoil Naofa
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 S.N. Phoil Naofa 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 S.N. Phoil Naofa
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 S.N. Phoil Naofa
Every school admits under its own published admission policy; no admissions numbers are published.
Families apply to S.N. Phoil Naofa 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 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: S.N. Phoil Naofa has shrunk by 9% since 2019/20. All the schools around Athlone together changed by +11%.
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, 3 have more pupils than S.N. Phoil Naofa. Since 2019/20 its roll has changed by −9%; 2 of the 6 grew faster.
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Phoil Naofa | 125 | −9% | Catholic | English | ✓ | |
| St Peters N.S. Snr | 112 | −24% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 0.1 km |
| St Marys N.S. | 573 | +31% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 0.8 km |
| S.N. Deaghan O Ceallaigh | 77 | −28% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 0.8 km |
| Athlone N.S. | 56 | −13% | Church of Ireland | English | 1.3 km | |
| Scoil na gCeithre Maistri | 235 | −20% | Catholic | All in Irish | ✓ | 1.8 km |
| S.N. an Cusan | 413 | −2% | Catholic | English | 3 km |
The other 66 primary schools in Co. Westmeath
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corr na Madadh N S | 306 | +16% | Multi-denominational | English | ✓ | 3.1 km |
| Cluain Buinne N.S. | 164 | +34% | Catholic | English | 4.5 km | |
| Sc Ciarain | 227 | +21% | Catholic | English | 6.8 km | |
| Naomh Clar N.S. | 293 | +7% | Catholic | English | 9.8 km | |
| Ballinahown N.S. | 96 | +8% | Catholic | English | 9.9 km | |
| Cill Cleithe N.S. | 99 | −3% | Catholic | English | 10 km | |
| An Ghrianan N.S. | 167 | −11% | Catholic | English | 12 km | |
| Ard na gCraith NS | 110 | −15% | Catholic | English | 12 km | |
| Drumraney Mixed N.S. | 23 | −15% | Catholic | English | 14 km | |
| Bl Oliver Plunkett N.S. | 80 | −20% | Catholic | English | 14 km | |
| St Brigid's Primary School | 241 | +4% | Catholic | English | 15 km | |
| Tang N.S. | 117 | −6% | Catholic | English | 16 km | |
| Eoin Naofa N.S. | 100 | −9% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 19 km |
| Kilcrumreragh N.S. | 104 | +28% | Catholic | English | 20 km | |
| Boher N.S. | 18 | – | Catholic | English | 23 km | |
| Magh Mora N.S. | 29 | −19% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| Streamstown Mixed N.S. | 107 | −4% | Catholic | English | 25 km | |
| Lochan an Bhealaigh N.S. | 57 | −11% | Catholic | English | 29 km | |
| Scoil Phadraig | 88 | +1% | Catholic | English | 29 km | |
| Mhichil Naofa N.S. | 81 | −4% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| Scoil an Chlochair Cill Bheagan | 226 | −8% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| S.N. Bhride | 8 | −74% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| Ballinagore Mixed N.S. | 97 | −5% | Catholic | English | 32 km | |
| Dysart N.S. | 24 | −35% | Catholic | English | 32 km | |
| Ballynacargy Mixed N.S. | 55 | +0% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 32 km |
| Odhran Naofa N.S. | 95 | +10% | Catholic | English | 34 km | |
| S.N. Aodha Naofa | 27 | −41% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Dalystown N.S. | 81 | −16% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Kilpatrick N.S. | 224 | −4% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Naomh Tomas N.S. | 16 | −36% | Church of Ireland | English | ✓ | 38 km |
| St. Anne's National School | 176 | +18% | Catholic | English | 38 km | |
| Rath Eoghan N.S. | 62 | +19% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 38 km |
| Mullingar Educate Together NS | 381 | −6% | Multi-denominational | English | ✓ | 40 km |
| Gaelscoil an Mhuilinn | 179 | −26% | Catholic | All in Irish | 41 km | |
| Scoil na mBraithre | 409 | −1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 41 km |
| Gaelscoil An Choillín | 154 | +111% | Inter-denominational | All in Irish | 41 km | |
| St. Colmcille's N.S. | 239 | −0% | Catholic | English | 41 km | |
| Presentation Convent (Jnr) | 277 | −12% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 41 km |
| Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire | 307 | −14% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 41 km |
| S N na Naomh Uile | 86 | −7% | Church of Ireland | English | 42 km | |
| Scoil Chroi Naofa | 214 | −12% | Catholic | English | 42 km | |
| S.N. Chruimin Naofa | 222 | +10% | Catholic | English | 42 km | |
| Scoil Cholmain Naofa | 445 | −8% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 42 km |
| Holy Family Primary School | 439 | +32% | Catholic | English | 43 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Fiontan | 29 | −44% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 46 km |
| Milltownpass N.S. | 73 | +4% | Catholic | English | 46 km | |
| Scoil Mhuire | 83 | +0% | Catholic | English | 46 km | |
| S N na nDun | 159 | +7% | Catholic | English | 47 km | |
| Loch an Ghair N.S. | 208 | −1% | Catholic | English | 47 km | |
| S.N. an Chuil | 14 | −71% | Catholic | English | 49 km | |
| Diarmada N.S. | 90 | +11% | Catholic | English | 49 km | |
| Baile Coireil N.S. | 82 | −20% | Catholic | English | 50 km | |
| Castlepollard Paroc.n.s. | 25 | +19% | Church of Ireland | English | 51 km | |
| Castlepollard Mixed N.S. | 169 | +20% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 52 km |
| S.N. Phadraig | 74 | −20% | Catholic | English | 53 km | |
| Baile na gCailleach N S | 166 | +19% | Catholic | English | 54 km | |
| Naomh Iosef N.S. | 285 | +1% | Catholic | English | 54 km | |
| Naomh Muire N.S. | 12 | – | Catholic | English | ✓ | 55 km |
| Naomh Micheal N.S. | 17 | −19% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 55 km |
| St Feighans Mxd N.S. | 100 | −7% | Catholic | English | 55 km | |
| St Etchens National School | 413 | −23% | Catholic | English | 56 km | |
| Naomh Tola N.S. | 219 | +4% | Catholic | English | 57 km | |
| Mhuire N.S. | 61 | −48% | Catholic | English | 57 km | |
| Earnain Mxd N.S. | 105 | −8% | Catholic | English | 61 km | |
| Crowenstown N.S. | 12 | −50% | Catholic | English | 64 km | |
| Cluain Maolain N.S. | 178 | −21% | Catholic | English | 67 km |
Living in Athlone
The town’s figures, not this street’s.
Homes in the N37 Eircode area
Housing in Athlone →The median sale price rose from €245,000 in 2023 to €324,000 in 2025 (+32%).
New against second-hand, 2023 to 2025
Property Price Register sales in the N37 Eircode routing area, 2023 to 2025.
Renting in Athlone
Cost of living in Athlone →New tenancies in Athlone averaged €1,315 a month in 2025, against €1,221 in 2024 (+8%).
Residential Tenancies Board rent index, new tenancies, 2024 and 2025.
Location
Directions ↗Athlone, N37 E973
Primary schools near S.N. Phoil Naofa
Nearest first, as the crow flies, up to 25 km. Each school’s own admission policy decides who gets a place.
Questions about S.N. Phoil Naofa
Is S.N. Phoil Naofa 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 S.N. Phoil Naofa have?
125 pupils in 2025/26. That is −9% since 2019/20.
Does S.N. Phoil Naofa teach through Irish?
No: S.N. Phoil Naofa teaches in English, with Irish as a subject.
Who runs S.N. Phoil Naofa?
S.N. Phoil Naofa has a Catholic ethos. Its patron is Bishop of Elphin.
How do pupils get a place at S.N. Phoil Naofa?
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 S.N. Phoil Naofa?
The nearest are St Peters N.S. Snr (0.1 km), St Marys N.S. (0.8 km) and S.N. Deaghan O Ceallaigh (0.8 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 Athlone; 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).