Irish classification

Some subjects through Irish

Schools grouped by how much of the curriculum is taught through Irish.

Narrow down In Gaeltacht areas · 7 Outside Gaeltacht areas · 19

Schools: 26; No change on 2024/25
Pupils in 2025/26: 5,349; −111 on 2024/25 · 1.0% of all pupils
Average school size: 205.7; −4.3 on 2024/25
Average class size: 21.47; −0.43 on 2024/25

Trends since 1975/76

History of the 26 schools in this group today. Dotted lines bridge 1983/84 to 1992/93, and 1974/75 is left out because that year's source file is missing five counties.

Pupils

5,349

−111 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

9 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

205.7

151.1 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

21.47

−0.43 on 2024/25

2006/072025/26

Growing and falling since 2015/16

Each school's change in pupils over 10 years, from 2015/16 to 2025/26. A change of 10% or more either way counts as growing or falling.

Every school's change

21 schools with figures for both years

Schools still filling their classes in 2015/16, and schools opened since, are listed separately.

6fell by 10% or more

4within 10%

11grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 1Down 10 to 25% · 5Within 10% · 4Up 10 to 25% · 8Up 25% or more · 3

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

1 Sancta Maria C B SDublin 8, Co. Dublin 65 → 103 +58.5%
2 Scoil Naomh CualánThurles, Co. Tipperary 144 → 198 +37.5%
3 Edenmore N.S.Emyvale, Co. Monaghan 127 → 159 +25.2%
4 St Coleman's National SchoolStradbally, Co. Laois 255 → 318 +24.7%
5 St Benedicts and St Marys National SchoolDublin 5, Co. Dublin 133 → 165 +24.1%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

1 Scoil RoisinAn Clochán Liath, Co. Donegal 61 → 51 −16.4%
2 St John's Senior SchoolArklow, Co. Wicklow 375 → 323 −13.9%
3 St Mary's National SchoolThomastown, Co. Kilkenny 460 → 398 −13.5%
4 SN Tullach Ui ChadhainMaigh Cuilinn, Co. Galway 73 → 65 −11.0%
5 Scoil an Athar TadhgCarraig na bhFear, Co. Cork 353 → 317 −10.2%

Ranked by percentage change. Only schools with 50 or more pupils in 2015/16 are ranked, leaving out any still filling their classes then, because a few pupils make a big percentage in a small or new school. An amalgamation or a new school nearby can also explain a big rise or fall.

Newer schools

5 schools still filling their classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 1,043 pupils between them. They aren’t in the figures above.

St Christopher's NSDublin 4 · figures start 2019/20 598
Réalt na Mara National SchoolDunmore East · figures start 2021/22 196
St. Catherine of SiennaKildare · figures start 2021/22 151
Ardagh National SchoolBallina · figures start 2023/24 73
Lacken National SchoolBallina · opened 2018/19 25

Where the pupils are

Top 10 counties by pupils, 2025/26

Cork 1,161
Dublin 866
Galway 683
Mayo 481
Monaghan 414
Kilkenny 398
Wicklow 323
Laois 318
Tipperary 198
Waterford 196

Class sizes

Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to. Figures for 2025/26.

Average class size: 21.47
Mainstream classes: 239
Classes of 30 or more: 6
Schools with a class of 30+: 6

Teachers

Teachers in the 26 mainstream primary schools here, 2006/07 to 2025/26. Class teachers are counted every year; all teaching posts where they're known.

How we count teachers

Class teachers in 2025/26: 239; Up 176 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 252%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 400; Estimate: 239 class teachers, 19 principals and deputies, 104 special education and 38 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 252; The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25: 5 / 6; 5 schools gained a class teacher, 6 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Schools

26 schools, largest first.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

	Roll number		Gaeltacht
St Christopher's NSDublin 4	20545H	Dublin	No	598	–	24	24.67	27	0
Bunscoil Chriost RiCork	20388R	Cork	No	453	−7.9%	20	21.70	30	1
St Mary's National SchoolThomastown	20272V	Kilkenny	No	398	−13.5%	17	23.12	29	0
Scoil MhuireMaigh Cuilinn	19529C	Galway	Yes	396	+4.2%	16	24.75	30	1
Watergrasshill N SWatergrasshill	16271U	Cork	No	391	+20.7%	17	22.29	30	1
St John's Senior SchoolArklow	20469R	Wicklow	No	323	−13.9%	14	21.79	29	0
St Coleman's National SchoolStradbally	20353V	Laois	No	318	+24.7%	13	23.54	30	1
Scoil an Athar TadhgCarraig na bhFear	19415K	Cork	No	317	−10.2%	14	20.50	28	0
Naomh Oliver PlunkettLoughmourne	19469K	Monaghan	No	255	+15.4%	9	25.22	34	1
Scoil ÍosaBallina	20275E	Mayo	No	242	+21.0%	13	17.62	22	0
Scoil Naomh CualánThurles	20451V	Tipperary	No	198	+37.5%	8	23.25	29	0
Réalt na Mara National SchoolDunmore East	20556M	Waterford	No	196	–	8	24.50	28	0
Scoil Naomh IosefBearna	13914V	Galway	Yes	183	−4.7%	8	21.00	28	0
St Benedicts and St Marys National SchoolDublin 5	20281W	Dublin	No	165	+24.1%	9	17.67	22	0
Edenmore N.S.Emyvale	20337A	Monaghan	No	159	+25.2%	7	22.29	35	1
St. Catherine of SiennaKildare	20558Q	Kildare	No	151	–	8	18.12	27	0
Scoil Mhuire Agus ChormaicKilcormac	20387P	Offaly	No	109	−0.9%	5	19.40	24	0
Sancta Maria C B SDublin 8	17893N	Dublin	No	103	+58.5%	6	16.17	21	0
Ardagh National SchoolBallina	20576S	Mayo	No	73	–	4	18.25	23	0
SN Tullach Ui ChadhainMaigh Cuilinn	08446K	Galway	Yes	65	−11.0%	3	21.67	29	0
SN Gleann A ChaisilBallina	13222P	Mayo	Yes	64	+12.3%	3	16.33	18	0
Scoil RoisinAn Clochán Liath	17328F	Donegal	Yes	51	−16.4%	3	17.00	18	0
S N Achaidh an GhlaisinBeal An Mhuirthead	18594I	Mayo	Yes	48	+23.1%	3	16.00	21	0
S N Naomh TreasaCashel	17660N	Galway	No	39	+18.2%	2	19.50	21	0
Geesala Central SchoolBallina	19776T	Mayo	Yes	29	−34.1%	2	14.50	15	0
Lacken National SchoolBallina	20512P	Mayo	No	25	–	3	8.33	9	0