Lorcán Ua Tuathail, known in English as Laurence O'Toole, was born in 1128 and died in 1180. He was Archbishop of Dublin when the Normans invaded from 1169 until 1171. He was a peacemaker between both sides. His feast day is on November 14th.

St. Laurence O'Toole's National School was founded in 1846 in a building adjacent to the Church of St. Laurence O'Toole. The location of the school remains unchanged since that date. Many well-known Dubliners have attended the school, from Luke Kelly to Jim Sheridan.

The interior and exterior of the building underwent a major transformation between the years 2020 and 2022. It is now a brilliant mix of old and new, with state of the art facilities and technology tastefully set within centuries old stone walls.

The school currently facilitates boys and girls from Junior Infants to 1st Class, and girls only from 2nd to 6th class. This is as a result of the amalgamation of St. Laurence O'Toole's Junior National School and St. Laurence O'Toole's Girls National School.