About our school

St Malachy’s is a Mixed Senior DEIS Band 1 school situated in the heart of Finglas South.

St Malachy’s opened on the 3rd of July 1978 with 201 children and 6 teachers.  This was the third Primary School in Finglas South following St. Finian’s in January 1975 and St. Oliver Plunkett’s Junior School in June 1976.

There were nearly 600 children and 19 teachers when St. Malachy’s had its highest numbers from 1981 onwards.  Numbers began to fall gradually from 1986 until the present.

We currently have approximately 140 children on the roll.  We have a principal, 7 class teachers, 4 Special Education Teachers, 1 shared Home School Liaison Officer and 6 SNA’s. We have a sensory room, a nurture room and a recently renovated courtyard which can be used for outdoor learning in the spring and summer.

St Oliver Plunkett’s junior school provided the great majority (95%) of the children to our school beginning 1979.

We are a trauma informed school; all our staff provide a warm nurturing approach to supporting the holistic development of our children.  Our School Completion Programme is run by Fionnuala Feely-Carr.  Through this programme, we have access to 4 play therapists, a breakfast club and a school transition programme assisting the 6th class pupils with their transition to secondary school.

The teachers have always taught as a team – co-operating fully, supporting each other and sharing best practice.  Conor Mc Carthy was the principal here from 1979 – 2005.  Fergus Hamill was principal from 2005 until 2017, Eoin Dolan was principal from 2017 to 2021. Michelle Eustace became principal in 2021. St. Malachy’s became part of the DEIS programme of support for schools in 2005.