St Marys N.S.
Gracepark Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath · N37 PX01 · Roll number 20073P
St Marys N.S. is one of 12 primary schools in or within 3 km of Athlone. Every school in and around Athlone →
What stands out about St Marys N.S.
- One of the larger primary schools: 573 pupils, against a typical 131.
- Teaches through English, with Irish as a subject.
- Growing: 573 pupils, 31% more than the 439 of 2019/20.
- 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.
- The largest of the 12 primary schools around Athlone.
- Its patron is the Bishop of Ardagh & Clonmacnoise; its ethos is Catholic.
Pupils over time
2015/16 to 2025/26St Marys N.S. had 573 pupils in 2025/26, against 437 in 2015/16 (+31%). Girls are 46% of them. Its largest roll was 586, in 2024/25. Its roll rose in 7 of the 10 years.
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September each year; girls and boys where the lists give them.
No letter for St Marys N.S.
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 St Marys N.S. 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 St Marys N.S.
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 St Marys N.S.
Every school admits under its own published admission policy; no admissions numbers are published.
Families apply to St Marys N.S. 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.
No figures on applications are published, but the roll shows demand: St Marys N.S. has grown by 31% 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.
St Marys N.S. has more pupils than any of the 6 nearest primary schools. Since 2019/20 its roll has changed by +31%; 0 of the 6 grew faster.
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Marys N.S. | 573 | +31% | Catholic | English | ✓ | |
| St Peters N.S. Snr | 112 | −24% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 0.7 km |
| S.N. Phoil Naofa | 125 | −9% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 0.8 km |
| Athlone N.S. | 56 | −13% | Church of Ireland | English | 0.8 km | |
| Scoil na gCeithre Maistri | 235 | −20% | Catholic | All in Irish | ✓ | 1 km |
| S.N. Deaghan O Ceallaigh | 77 | −28% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 1.4 km |
| Corr na Madadh N S | 306 | +16% | Multi-denominational | English | ✓ | 2.3 km |
The other 66 primary schools in Co. Westmeath
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. an Cusan | 413 | −2% | Catholic | English | 2.4 km | |
| Cluain Buinne N.S. | 164 | +34% | Catholic | English | 4.4 km | |
| Sc Ciarain | 227 | +21% | Catholic | English | 6.1 km | |
| Naomh Clar N.S. | 293 | +7% | Catholic | English | 9 km | |
| Ballinahown N.S. | 96 | +8% | Catholic | English | 10 km | |
| Cill Cleithe N.S. | 99 | −3% | Catholic | English | 10 km | |
| An Ghrianan N.S. | 167 | −11% | Catholic | English | 11 km | |
| Ard na gCraith NS | 110 | −15% | Catholic | English | 11 km | |
| Drumraney Mixed N.S. | 23 | −15% | Catholic | English | 13 km | |
| Bl Oliver Plunkett N.S. | 80 | −20% | Catholic | English | 14 km | |
| St Brigid's Primary School | 241 | +4% | Catholic | English | 14 km | |
| Tang N.S. | 117 | −6% | Catholic | English | 15 km | |
| Eoin Naofa N.S. | 100 | −9% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 18 km |
| Kilcrumreragh N.S. | 104 | +28% | Catholic | English | 19 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 | 28 km | |
| Scoil Phadraig | 88 | +1% | Catholic | English | 29 km | |
| Mhichil Naofa N.S. | 81 | −4% | Catholic | English | 29 km | |
| S.N. Bhride | 8 | −74% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| Scoil an Chlochair Cill Bheagan | 226 | −8% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| Ballinagore Mixed N.S. | 97 | −5% | Catholic | English | 31 km | |
| Ballynacargy Mixed N.S. | 55 | +0% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 32 km |
| Dysart N.S. | 24 | −35% | Catholic | English | 32 km | |
| Odhran Naofa N.S. | 95 | +10% | Catholic | English | 33 km | |
| S.N. Aodha Naofa | 27 | −41% | Catholic | English | 36 km | |
| Dalystown N.S. | 81 | −16% | Catholic | English | 36 km | |
| Kilpatrick N.S. | 224 | −4% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Naomh Tomas N.S. | 16 | −36% | Church of Ireland | English | ✓ | 37 km |
| St. Anne's National School | 176 | +18% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Rath Eoghan N.S. | 62 | +19% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 37 km |
| Mullingar Educate Together NS | 381 | −6% | Multi-denominational | English | ✓ | 39 km |
| Gaelscoil an Mhuilinn | 179 | −26% | Catholic | All in Irish | 40 km | |
| Scoil na mBraithre | 409 | −1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 40 km |
| Gaelscoil An Choillín | 154 | +111% | Inter-denominational | All in Irish | 40 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 | 41 km | |
| S.N. Chruimin Naofa | 222 | +10% | Catholic | English | 42 km | |
| Scoil Cholmain Naofa | 445 | −8% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 42 km |
| Scoil Chroi Naofa | 214 | −12% | Catholic | English | 42 km | |
| Holy Family Primary School | 439 | +32% | Catholic | English | 42 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Fiontan | 29 | −44% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 45 km |
| Scoil Mhuire | 83 | +0% | Catholic | English | 45 km | |
| Milltownpass N.S. | 73 | +4% | Catholic | English | 45 km | |
| Loch an Ghair N.S. | 208 | −1% | Catholic | English | 47 km | |
| S N na nDun | 159 | +7% | Catholic | English | 47 km | |
| S.N. an Chuil | 14 | −71% | Catholic | English | 48 km | |
| Diarmada N.S. | 90 | +11% | Catholic | English | 48 km | |
| Baile Coireil N.S. | 82 | −20% | Catholic | English | 50 km | |
| Castlepollard Paroc.n.s. | 25 | +19% | Church of Ireland | English | 50 km | |
| Castlepollard Mixed N.S. | 169 | +20% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 51 km |
| S.N. Phadraig | 74 | −20% | Catholic | English | 52 km | |
| Baile na gCailleach N S | 166 | +19% | Catholic | English | 53 km | |
| Naomh Muire N.S. | 12 | – | Catholic | English | ✓ | 54 km |
| Naomh Iosef N.S. | 285 | +1% | Catholic | English | 54 km | |
| Naomh Micheal N.S. | 17 | −19% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 54 km |
| St Feighans Mxd N.S. | 100 | −7% | Catholic | English | 55 km | |
| St Etchens National School | 413 | −23% | Catholic | English | 55 km | |
| Naomh Tola N.S. | 219 | +4% | Catholic | English | 56 km | |
| Mhuire N.S. | 61 | −48% | Catholic | English | 56 km | |
| Earnain Mxd N.S. | 105 | −8% | Catholic | English | 60 km | |
| Crowenstown N.S. | 12 | −50% | Catholic | English | 63 km | |
| Cluain Maolain N.S. | 178 | −21% | Catholic | English | 66 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 PX01
Primary schools near St Marys N.S.
Nearest first, as the crow flies, up to 25 km. Each school’s own admission policy decides who gets a place.
Questions about St Marys N.S.
Is St Marys N.S. 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 St Marys N.S. have?
573 pupils in 2025/26. That is +31% since 2019/20.
Does St Marys N.S. teach through Irish?
No: St Marys N.S. teaches in English, with Irish as a subject.
Who runs St Marys N.S.?
St Marys N.S. has a Catholic ethos. Its patron is Bishop of Ardagh & Clonmacnoise.
How do pupils get a place at St Marys N.S.?
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 St Marys N.S.?
The nearest are St Peters N.S. Snr (0.7 km), S.N. Phoil Naofa (0.8 km) and Athlone N.S. (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).