The mother of a teenage boy has lost a legal challenge against a school admissions policy that she claims indirectly discriminates against travellers.
Mary Stokes appealed to the High Court after a lower court ruled the Christian Brothers High School in Clonmel is entitled to give priority enrolment to boys whose fathers were past pupils.
The school has an admissions policy to deal with over-subscription in that it gives preference to boys who are the sons or brothers of past or present pupils.
14-year-old John Stokes is the eldest child in his family and as the High Court was told like many traveller men his father never progressed to second-level education.
Lawyers for the Stokes argued that historically the numbers of traveller men who attended school at a post primary level is so low that the policy of the school is indirectly discriminatory.
However Mr. Justice Patrick McCarthy has found the rule effects other people too and cannot be said to put John Stokes at a particular disadvantage.
The school says it will not be looking for its cost against Mary Stokes.
