St. Fursey's National School
School Details
Location
About
St. Fursey’s National School is a vibrant primary school situated on Marlbog Road in Haggardstown, Dundalk. The school embraces a Catholic ethos while fostering an inclusive, welcoming environment that celebrates diversity of race, culture, religion, gender and ability. Its educational philosophy centres on the holistic development of each child, nurturing spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical growth. The curriculum follows the 1999 Revised Curriculum, encouraging pupils to become confident, caring citizens equipped for a modern, multicultural and digitally literate society. The campus combines historic charm with contemporary facilities. Recent developments include four state‑of‑the‑art classrooms added in 2007/2008 and a dedicated Autism classroom opened in 2018, providing specialised support for pupils with special educational needs. The school’s warm, friendly atmosphere is reinforced by strong home‑school links, active parental involvement and a commitment to environmental awareness. Extracurricular activities, community events and a vibrant parish partnership further enrich the learning experience, ensuring every child feels valued and known by name.
History
St. Fursey’s National School originated in 1840 within the Old Masshouse on Mullaharlin Road, initially comprising two small classrooms and known as Mullaharlin National School. In 1940 the school relocated to its present Marlbog Road site and was renamed after the parish patron saint, St. Fursey, who is believed to have founded a monastery locally. An extension opened by Minister Mary O’Rourke in 1987 added six new classrooms. A major refurbishment in the 2007/2008 academic year introduced four modern classrooms, and in 2018 an Autism classroom was added to broaden inclusive provision. The school has maintained a relatively stable size over the past two decades while the surrounding community has transitioned from a rural setting to a growing suburban area of Dundalk.