St. Catherine's Vocational School
St. Catherine's Vocational School is a secondary school in Donegal. 359 pupils, Multi-denominational ethos, 2 special classes, DEIS Post-primary.
The facts
| Type | Secondary school |
|---|---|
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ethos | Multi-denominational |
| Patron | Donegal ETB |
| Fees | Free |
| Enrolment | 359 (185 boys, 174 girls) 2025/26 |
| Language of instruction | English Medium School |
| DEIS | Yes — Post-primary |
| Roll number | 71241W |
| Eircode | F94A004 |
| Address | Donegal Road, Killybegs, Co. Donegal |
What DEIS means here
DEIS Post-primary. This is extra staffing, a Home School Community Liaison coordinator, School Completion Programme access, enhanced capitation, free State exam fees, and eligibility for the HEAR Scheme for reduced-points college entry.
Post-primary DEIS benefits: Free State examination fees for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate, Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) coordinator, School Completion Programme, and eligibility for the HEAR Scheme (Higher Education Access Route) offering reserved university places at reduced CAO points across Irish universities.
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:
- 1 × Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorders
- 1 × Autism Inclusion Class
1 of these are newly sanctioned for 26/27, up from 1 classes last year.
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: Killybegs. 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 Killybegs at -6.12 (Marginally Below Average), where 0 is the national average. 28% of adults there hold a third-level qualification.
Contact
| Principal | Ann Marie Luby |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0749731491 |
| stcatherines@donegaletb.ie | |
| Local authority | Donegal County Council |
Other schools in Killybegs
- Bruckless N S Primary school, Donegal
- Killybegs Common N S Primary school, Donegal
- S N Fhionntra Primary school, Donegal
- S N Neill Mor Primary school, Donegal
How we know
DoE Schools GIS 2026 (CC BY 4.0) — checked 2026-08-27.