1704 marks the year for the earliest recorded school in Malahide. In 1831 the parish priest, Father Carey of Swords, established a school in a derelict mill building at Barrack Bridge, Yellow Walls but it closed in 1841. He then started a school behind St. Sylvester’s Church in 1846.

Malahide Girls School was opened in 1863 and was located at the corner of Yellow Walls Road. Yellow Walls obtained its title from the yellow stains left by vegetable dyes when woollen, linen and silk were dyed with indigenous plants by the craft dyers of Malahide and placed to dry in the sun on the boundary walls.

Malahide Infants and Malahide Girls were always separate but housed under one roof. In 1956 the Infant School had a new school built on the same play ground as the old school. The name was changed to St. Sylvester’s Infant School. Malahide Girls School was re-named St. Sylvester’s Girls N.S. in 1959 and became co-educational in 1976. The school moved to its current location in September 1980 when a brand new 16 classroom school was completed. It was renamed Pope John Paul 11 School by the Very Rev. Macartan Brady P.P. to honour the Papal visit of September 1979.

In 2004 a new extension was built and 2015 saw another extension added to bring us to an optimum 26 mainstream classrooms. The school now has excellent facilities which allow our children learn in a warm, friendly and nourishing environment. We look forward to a bright future for everyone associated with Pope John Paul 11 School.