About Our School
Click below to check out our Website’s Curriculum and Wellbeing Sections to find out more about the wonderful things we do at St. Mary’s
A Place To Grow…
St. Mary’s is a school for children with a primary diagnosis of mild intellectual disability located in a beautiful countryside setting in Rochestown, Co.Cork.
Currently, we have 12 classes in total:
Lime Class - Our Upper Primary Class
Holly, Elm & Walnut Classes - Lower Secondary age Pupils
Blackthorn, Beech & Whitethorn Classes - Upper Secondary age Pupils
5 of our classes are specifically for pupils with a diagnosis of autism and a mild/moderate intellectual disability.
Oak Class - Middle Primary age pupils
Rowan & Maple Class - Upper Primary age pupils
Ash Class - Lower Secondary age pupils
Willow Class - Upper Secondary age pupils
St. Mary’s Special School has been in operation since 1974.
The school initially operated as a boarding school for pupils from Cork and surrounding counites under the leadership of St. Mary’s first Principal Mr. Eamon O’Neill (1974-1998) and the direction of the Brothers of Charity. By 1998, the school had transitioned to operating exclusively as a day school.
In 1999, Mrs. Mary Conroy was appointed as the 2nd Principal of St. Mary’s. Mrs. Conroy was Principal for 20 years and retired in 2019. Ms. Hollywell became Principal in 2019, during her time St. Mary’s underwent a transformation and was extensively upgraded. Samantha Rice became Principal in 2025.
School History
Mr. Eamon O’Neill
Mrs. Mary Conroy