About
Scoil Cholmcille Naofa, Baile na Finne - A small rural national school serving the local community in this scenic part of west Donegal.
About Our School
Scoil Cholmcille Naofa, Fintown (St. Colmcille's National School), is a primary school located in Baile na Finne (Fintown), County Donegal. It is a small rural national school that serves the local community in this scenic part of west Donegal.
The school is named after St. Colmcille (Columba), reflecting the deep historical connection of the area to this famous 6th-century Donegal saint. As a Gaeltacht community school, Irish (Gaeilge) is part of daily life – the village of Fintown lies within the officially designated Irish-speaking region of Donegal.
The school provides education for boys and girls from Junior Infants up to 6th Class (ages roughly 4-12), typically in multi-grade classrooms due to its modest size.
Our School Community
The atmosphere at Fintown National School is close-knit and family-like, with a strong emphasis on community, culture, and heritage. Students not only learn the standard primary curriculum but also engage in local traditions – for example, Irish language activities, Gaelic sports, music, and participation in parish events.
The school's medium of instruction includes English and Irish, and many pupils speak Irish at home as well. Surrounded by hills and near the shores of Lough Finn, the school's setting provides an inspiring environment for children, and outdoor activities often make use of the beautiful local landscape.
Parents, teachers, and the parish community work closely together to support the school, making it a central part of life in Fintown.
Learning & growing together
School History
Education in the Fintown area has a long history, dating back to at least the 19th century. Scoil Cholmcille Naofa itself has been serving local families for generations, though schooling was once provided at several small national schools scattered in this mountainous region.
By the mid-20th century, there were multiple one- and two-room schoolhouses in the Fintown vicinity – for example, local schools at Lough Muck, Doobin, and Croaghs were in operation to cater to children in outlying townlands.
However, as the rural population declined and transportation improved, these smaller schools were gradually consolidated. Lough Muck National School was closed in 1963, and over the 1960s and 1970s most of the outlying schools shut their doors.
Thereafter, Fintown National School became the central primary school for the area. Today's Scoil Cholmcille Naofa is the direct successor of that consolidation, continuing a proud tradition of education in Fintown.
The school's current building has been updated and extended over the years to accommodate modern needs. Despite its small size, the school has kept pace with educational developments, adding facilities like a computer room and supporting new learning initiatives.
What hasn't changed is the warm community spirit – many current students are children or grandchildren of former pupils, and the school remains at the heart of community life.
Fintown Village and Community
Fintown (officially Baile na Finne) is a small village set on the shores of Lough Finn amid the rugged landscape of County Donegal. Notably, Baile na Finne is the only official name of the village – the English name "Fintown" has no legal status.
The community lies in a Gaeltacht area, meaning Irish is the predominant language of daily communication. With the Aghla and Screig mountains overlooking it, Fintown boasts spectacular highland scenery.
The village's main attraction is the Fintown Railway (An Mhuc Dhubh or "the Black Pig"), which is Donegal's only operational narrow-gauge railway. This heritage train runs for 5 km along the crystal-clear waters of Lough Finn, following the route of the former County Donegal Railway.
The heart of the Gaeltacht
Gaelic Football in Fintown
Gaelic football is a cornerstone of community life in Fintown, as in much of County Donegal. The local GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) club that serves Fintown is C.L.G. Naomh Conaill – one of the most successful Gaelic football clubs in Donegal.
Naomh Conaill (meaning St. Connell's) is the parish club, based in the nearby town of Glenties, but it also covers Fintown and the entire Inishkeel/Glenties parish. Many of the school's pupils (past and present) play underage football with Naomh Conaill. The club's colors are blue and white, and the team is fondly nicknamed the "Boys in Blue". Naomh Conaill has emerged as a county football powerhouse in recent decades, having won the Donegal Senior Football Championship 7 times since 2005.
Blue and white pride!
Parish of Inishkeel (Glenties-Fintown)
Fintown is part of the Catholic Parish of Inishkeel, which is united with the town of Glenties. The parish has two main churches: St. Connell's Church in Glenties, and St. Colmcille's Church in Fintown.
The Fintown chapel, known in Irish as Teach Pobail Cholmcille Naofa, is dedicated to the same patron saint as the school (St. Colmcille) and serves the local faithful. The current church building in Fintown was constructed in 1988 to replace an older chapel.
The parish plays an active role in the life of Fintown National School. The parish priest regularly visits the school, and children prepare for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation through the school in partnership with the parish.
School events like the Christmas pageant or St. Brigid's Day celebrations are often held with involvement from the church. Likewise, the school participates in parish-wide activities – for example, singing in the children's choir at Mass or taking part in the annual Corpus Christi procession.
Fintown's strong faith tradition, centered on the values of St. Colmcille and St. Connell (Naomh Conaill, the patron of the parish), provides a moral foundation that complements the school's educational mission.
Being in the parish of Inishkeel also ties Fintown to a broader historical heritage. Inishkeel is actually the name of a small island off the coast near Narin, where St. Connell Caol founded a monastery in the 6th century.
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Discover how our values and ethos create a nurturing environment for your child's education in the heart of the Gaeltacht.