Holy Family National School
Holy Family National School is a primary school in Donegal. 193 pupils, Catholic ethos, 2 special classes, DEIS Urban Band 2.
The facts
| Type | Primary school |
|---|---|
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ethos | Catholic |
| Patron | Bishop of Clogher |
| Fees | Free |
| Enrolment | 193 (106 boys, 87 girls) 2025/26 |
| Language of instruction | English Medium School |
| DEIS | Yes — Urban Band 2 |
| Roll number | 20150H |
| Eircode | F94F259 |
| Address | East Rock, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal |
Getting in
Not oversubscribed last year. The notice carries no previous-year breakdown, which is only required of a school that had more applicants than places.
| Places in the coming year | 25 |
|---|---|
| Applications last year | 4 |
| Waiting list | 0 |
| Applications open | 10 November 2025 |
| Applications close | 30 November 2025 |
check the notice — it lists more than one intake.
Read the school's Annual Admission Notice ↗ (2026/27)
Ireland has no catchment areas. A place depends on the school's own oversubscription criteria — siblings, feeder school, parish, distance, date of application — not on where you live. Read the admissions policy for those.
What DEIS means here
DEIS Urban Band 2. This is extra staffing, a Home School Community Liaison coordinator and School Completion Programme access. Band 2 does not carry the reduced class sizes that Band 1 does.
Added to DEIS in the 2022 expansion, so its supports are relatively recent.
Worth knowing: several things people associate with DEIS are now available in every school. Schoolbooks are free at primary and post-primary regardless of DEIS status, and since 2025 all primary schools are eligible for the hot school meals programme. What remains specific to DEIS is the staffing — reduced class sizes in Urban Band 1, the Home School Community Liaison coordinator, School Completion Programme access and enhanced capitation.
Band as published in the Department's DEIS list, last revised 2022-10-12.
Special classes
2 special classes sanctioned for 26/27:
- 2 × Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Source: National Council for Special Education. Children in a special class travel under a separate transport scheme with its own rules.
The area around this school
School planning area: Ballyshannon / Donegal. This is how the Department plans where to build capacity. It is not a catchment.
Local house prices: the median residential sale price in Eircode district F94 (Donegal) was €200,000 in 2025. That is up 48.1% since 2020. CSO figures for the whole district, not the streets beside the school.
Area profile: the Pobal HP Deprivation Index rates Ballyshannon Urban at -11.91 (Disadvantaged), where 0 is the national average. 28% of adults there hold a third-level qualification.
Contact
| Principal | Sarah-Jane Lewis |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0719851689 |
| principal@holyfamilyballyshannon.ie | |
| Local authority | Donegal County Council |
Other schools in Ballyshannon / Donegal
- Coláiste Cholmcille Secondary school, Donegal
- Four Masters Ns Primary school, Leitrim
- Gaelscoil Eirne Primary school, Donegal
- Kilbarron N S Primary school, Donegal
- Magh Ene College Secondary school, Donegal
- Robertson N S Primary school, Donegal
- Rockfield N S Primary school, Donegal
- Scoil Mhuire Primary school, Donegal
- Scoil Naomh Chaitriona Primary school, Donegal
- Scoil Naomh Earnan Primary school, Donegal
- Sn An Br M O Cleirigh Primary school, Donegal
- St Macartans Central Primary school, Donegal
How we know
DoE Schools GIS 2026 (CC BY 4.0) — checked 2026-08-27.