St Mary's Secondary School
School Details
About
St Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School, situated in Glasnevin, is a co‑educational post‑primary institution that follows the Holy Faith Congregation’s ethos of holistic development. The school’s central purpose is to deliver a balanced programme that nurtures the religious, moral, intellectual, human, social and physical‑recreational growth of each student, in line with the directives of the 1998 Education Act. Learning is therefore framed as the education of the whole person, with a strong emphasis on Catholic values, personal responsibility and community engagement. The curriculum spans the Junior Cycle, Senior Cycle and a dedicated Transition Year, offering a broad range of academic subjects alongside a vibrant extracurricular portfolio. Students can join sports, music, language clubs, a book club, a Little Chef programme and a homework club, while a virtual tour created by Transition Year students showcases the school’s facilities and learning environment. The school’s pastoral approach underpins daily life, fostering collaborative relationships between staff, parents and pupils and encouraging self‑reliant, integrated Christian citizens ready to contribute positively to society.
History
Margaret Aylward founded St Mary’s, Glasnevin, in 1873. The present secondary school opened in 1941 under the direction of the Holy Faith Sisters. The school’s philosophy follows the Holy Faith Congregation and the 1998 Education Act, aiming to provide religious, moral, intellectual, human, social and physical‑recreational education. Its mission is to develop the whole person, forming integrated, self‑reliant Christian individuals who can build a better world.