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School planning area

Limerick City

46 primary schools and 12,836 pupils in 2025/26, in Counties Clare and Limerick.

Pupils in 2025/26
12,836
−151 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16
+2.5%
12,529 pupils in 2015/16
Schools
46
No change on 2024/25
Average class size
22.57
Average school size: 279.0

By county

This planning area crosses county lines. Select a county to see its part of the area.

Change over
Limerick 43 12,159
+4.1%
Clare 3 677
−20.5%

Each year counts the schools in this planning area today, plus any that closed from 2023/24. Dotted lines bridge 1983/84 to 1992/93. 1974/75 is left out because that year's source file is missing five counties.

Earlier years are incomplete

The Department's files only record planning areas from 2023/24, so schools that closed or amalgamated before then aren't counted in any area. The further back you go, the more pupils are missing, and an amalgamation can look like a sudden rise. Across Counties Clare and Limerick, schools with no planning area had 2.1% of pupils in 2015/16, 8.0% in 2005/06 and 31.4% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

12,836

−151 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

46

30 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

279.0

288.6 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

22.57

−0.42 on 2024/25

2006/072025/26

Pupils in these schools

Junior infants, girls and boys, and Irish-medium schools over time, for the same schools as the trends above.

Area figures by year (CSV) Each school by year (CSV)

Junior infants

Pupils starting school each year. Class-by-class figures start in 2020/21. 1,466 in 2025/26, −34 on 2024/25.

Girls and boys

From 1976/77: earlier files don't split every school's pupils into girls and boys.

Irish-medium schools

Pupils in schools that teach all subjects through Irish (5 schools today). 1,830 pupils in 2025/26, 14.3% of the area's pupils, against 12.5% in 2015/16. Each school counts under its current classification for every year.

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

45 schools with figures for both years

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

14fell by 10% or more
20within 10%
11grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 4Down 10 to 25% · 10Within 10% · 20Up 10 to 25% · 2Up 25% or more · 9

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 Corpus Christi N SLimerick, Co. Limerick 234 → 403 +72.2%
  2. 2 Gaelscoil SairsealLuimneach, Co. Limerick 228 → 369 +61.8%
  3. 3 St Michaels NSLimerick, Co. Limerick 81 → 126 +55.6%
  4. 4 Limerick City East Educate Together NSMungret, Co. Limerick 244 → 373 +52.9%
  5. 5 Gaelscoil an RaithinLuimneach, Co. Limerick 284 → 389 +37.0%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 Carnane MXD N SFedamore, Co. Limerick 67 → 30 −55.2%
  2. 2 S N Mhuire MiliucVia Limerick, Co. Clare 136 → 84 −38.2%
  3. 3 Donoughmore N SDonoughmore, Co. Limerick 215 → 140 −34.9%
  4. 4 St Johns ConventLimerick, Co. Limerick 299 → 223 −25.4%
  5. 5 St. Nicholas Church of Ireland SchoolAdare, Co. Limerick 70 → 54 −22.9%

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

1 school still filling its classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 361 pupils. It isn’t in the figures above.

Class sizes

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

Average class size
22.57
Mainstream classes
555
Classes of 30 or more
28
Schools with a class of 30+
14

Teachers

Teachers in the 46 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
555
Up 145 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 21%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 951
Estimate: 555 class teachers, 45 principals and deputies, 299 special education and 52 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
794
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
7 / 5
7 schools gained a class teacher, 5 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Special schools and special classes

9 special schools in the Limerick City planning area, and the special classes in its 46 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools
Pupils in special schools
669
In 9 schools, up from 557 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26
52
In 27 of 46 schools. 20 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
62
In 31 schools: 10 new classes, 4 schools with their first
Autism classes
44
85% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In the Limerick City planning area's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

  • 2020/21 20
  • 2021/22 27
  • 2022/23 32
  • 2023/24 38
  • 2024/25 45
  • 2025/26 52
  • 2026/27 62

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special school Pupils Since 2015/16 Teaching posts SNAs
Catherine MC Auley SP SLimerick · Mild general learning disability 278
+16.8%
32 33
St Vincents SP SchoolLisnagry · Moderate general learning disability 100
+1.0%
21 51.5
St Gabriels SchoolLimerick · Physical disability 64
+10.3%
10 27.25
Red Hill SchoolPatrickswell · Autism 61
−18.7%
12 34.15
Limerick Community Special SchoolLimerick · Community special school 47 – 10 25
Mid West School For the DeafLimerick · School for deaf pupils 44
+57.1%
9 14.33
The Childrens ArkLimerick 44
+120.0%
– –
St Augustines Spec SCHLimerick 24
0.0%
– –
St Canices Special SchoolMulgrave St 7
−53.3%
– –

Sources: Department of Education enrolment lists; NCSE special class lists and special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).

Schools

46 schools, largest first. A dash in the change column means the school had no pupils recorded in that year, usually because it opened later or took a new roll number after an amalgamation.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

Roll number
Scoil Moin A LinCastletroy 17937H Limerick 847
+4.2%
32 26.28 30 1
Scoil NeassainMungret 14409N Limerick 668
−7.9%
26 25.69 29 0
Scoil IdeLimerick 18872K Limerick 654
−17.4%
28 23.36 29 0
An Mhodh ScoilLuimneach 19894C Limerick 578
−11.9%
24 24.08 27 0
Scoil Phoil NaofaDooradoyle 19336O Limerick 573
−13.4%
24 23.88 26 0
Milford Grange N SchoolCastletroy 19800N Limerick 479
−4.2%
19 25.21 33 8
St Brigids NSLimerick 19475F Limerick 457
−4.0%
18 24.72 28 0
Gaelscoil Chaladh an TreoighCaladh an Treoigh 20148U Limerick 412
+32.5%
17 24.24 29 0
Corpus Christi N SLimerick 19830W Limerick 403
+72.2%
20 18.90 24 0
Gaelscoil an RaithinLuimneach 20181S Limerick 389
+37.0%
16 24.31 29 0
Limerick City East Educate Together NSMungret 20175A Limerick 373
+52.9%
16 22.19 28 0
Gaelscoil SairsealLuimneach 19956V Limerick 369
+61.8%
14 26.36 30 1
Scoil Mathair deLimerick City 18677M Limerick 362
+24.4%
16 21.12 30 2
Salesian Primary SchoolLimerick 20496U Limerick 361 – 16 22.56 29 0
Our Lady Queen of Peace SchoolLimerick 17737W Limerick 326
+5.2%
16 20.00 23 0
SN an Phairtin MixedParteen 16946D Clare 317
−15.5%
12 25.92 32 3
S N Lios na GroiLisnagry 18516L Limerick 295
−3.0%
11 26.27 32 2
S N Naomh IosefClarina 19272O Limerick 290
+6.6%
12 23.67 30 1
Presentation Primary SchoolLimerick 20018H Limerick 279
+4.5%
14 19.07 27 0
Scoil Chriost Ri BLimerick 19331E Limerick 278
−4.1%
12 22.17 26 0
Scoil Seanain NaofaClonlara 04548V Clare 276
−19.1%
11 25.09 33 1
Scoil an Spioraid NaomhBallysheedy 15680J Limerick 267
−8.6%
11 24.27 30 2
S N Muire na hEireannLimerick 19332G Limerick 262
−10.9%
11 23.27 28 0
St Johns ConventLimerick 06936R Limerick 223
−25.4%
12 17.50 24 0
Scoil IosagainLimerick 16910F Limerick 222
+1.4%
12 17.50 23 0
J F K Memorial SchoolLimerick 18991S Limerick 218
−9.5%
9 24.22 35 1
Thomond Primary SchoolLimerick 20460W Limerick 215
−11.5%
11 18.45 27 0
Limerick School ProjectLimerick 19934L Limerick 203
−6.9%
8 25.38 28 0
Scoil Padraig Naofa BLimerick 16443A Limerick 197
−10.0%
8 23.88 30 2
Scoil Padraig Naofa CLimerick 16444C Limerick 197
−14.7%
8 24.62 30 2
Knockea National SchoolBallyneety 06539H Limerick 191
−8.2%
8 23.88 29 0
Le Chéile National SchoolLimerick 20459O Limerick 174
−7.4%
11 14.09 23 0
Our Lady of Lourdes N SLimerick 19667O Limerick 161
+11.8%
8 18.62 22 0
St Mary's National SchoolLimerick 20405O Limerick 152
+35.7%
7 20.00 25 0
Scoil Tobar PadraigPatrickswell 17738B Limerick 143
−4.7%
6 22.00 24 0
Donoughmore N SDonoughmore 16118M Limerick 140
−34.9%
6 21.33 29 0
St Michaels NSLimerick 15320C Limerick 126
+55.6%
6 19.00 20 0
Our Ladys AbbeyAdare 09296W Limerick 125
0.0%
7 17.86 30 1
St MichaelsLimerick 12834S Limerick 116
−9.4%
5 23.20 25 0
Bohermore N SBallysimon 08342V Limerick 100
+185.7%
4 19.00 26 0
Scoil Nais Cathair Chinn LisCaherconlish 17487C Limerick 100
−9.9%
5 20.00 31 1
S N Mhuire MiliucVia Limerick 18225A Clare 84
−38.2%
4 19.50 21 0
Gaelscoil SheoirseLuimneach 19931F Limerick 82
−9.9%
5 14.00 20 0
St John the Baptist Boys N SLimerick 16715H Limerick 68
+83.8%
4 14.50 20 0
St. Nicholas Church of Ireland SchoolAdare 08926B Limerick 54
−22.9%
3 18.00 22 0
Carnane MXD N SFedamore 09132P Limerick 30
−55.2%
2 15.00 20 0