Our Lady Of Mercy Secondary School Mourne
School Details
Location
About
Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School, Drimnagh, is a co‑educational post‑primary institution that has been serving its local community since 1973. The school offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes the Junior Certificate programme, a Transition Year with a strong emphasis on personal development, and both Leaving Certificate Applied and Established streams. Partnerships with Business in the Community, Clikln and the Trinity Access Programme (TA21) enrich the learning experience and provide students with valuable work‑place and further‑education opportunities. The school’s ethos is built around the “3 Rs” – Be Ready, Be Respectful and Be Responsible – and a commitment to social justice, ensuring that every member of the community is treated fairly and with dignity. A whole‑school approach to teaching and learning underpins daily practice, featuring a common lesson structure, assessment for learning, differentiation in mixed‑ability classrooms and cooperative teaching to promote inclusivity. A wide range of spiritual and human development programmes, such as the S.P.H.E. programme, Lifeskills, wellbeing initiatives and career guidance, support the holistic growth of each pupil. Recent development work includes a substantive Emergency Works Scheme (2021‑2022) and an approved extension project (planning permission granted July 2023) slated for implementation in 2025‑2026, further enhancing the school’s facilities for future generations.
History
The parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel was established on 9 April 1943, with Fr Eugene Trainor appointed as its first parish priest. On 10 January 1944 the National Schools complex – then one of the largest in Europe – was officially opened by Minister for Education Thomas O’Derrig. A Secondary Top was introduced in 1956, providing education up to the Intermediate Certificate, and in 1967 a full secondary school for girls was opened, offering Leaving Certificate courses. Our present co‑educational secondary school, Our Lady of Mercy, was founded in September 1973 and now serves students from the parish and beyond its boundaries.