School planning area

Rathkeale

Name: Primary school enrolment in the Rathkeale planning area
Creator: Department of Education

8 primary schools and 844 pupils in 2025/26, in County Limerick.

Pupils in 2025/26: 844; +6 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16: +10.8%; 762 pupils in 2015/16
Schools: 8; No change on 2024/25
Average class size: 20.12; Average school size: 105.5

Trends in Rathkeale

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 County Limerick, schools with no planning area had 3.0% of pupils in 2015/16, 9.2% in 2005/06 and 34.5% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

844

+6 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

7 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

105.5

116.0 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

20.12

−0.03 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. 118 in 2025/26, +25 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

No school in this area teaches all subjects through Irish.

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

8 schools with figures for both years

2fell by 10% or more

2within 10%

4grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 1Down 10 to 25% · 1Within 10% · 2Up 10 to 25% · 3Up 25% or more · 1

Sort the table below by the change column to see which schools grew or fell most.

Class sizes

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

Average class size: 20.12
Mainstream classes: 41
Classes of 30 or more: 1
Schools with a class of 30+: 1

Teachers

Teachers in the 8 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: 41; Up 5 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 16%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 64; Estimate: 41 class teachers, 2 principals and deputies, 17 special education and 4 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 52; The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25: 1 / 1; 1 school gained a class teacher, 1 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Special schools and special classes

0 special schools in the Rathkeale planning area, and the special classes in the 8 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools

Pupils in special schools: 0; No special school here
Special classes in 2025/26: 4; In 3 of 8 schools. 1 in 2021/22
Allocated for 2026/27: 4; In 3 schools
Autism classes: 4; 100% of special classes

Special classes since 2021/22

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

2021/22 1
2022/23 1
2023/24 1
2024/25 3
2025/26 4
2026/27 4

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

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

Schools

8 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 Aine NaofaRathkeale	18177P	224	+38.3%	11	19.36	24	0
Scoil Chriost an SlanaitheoirBallingarry	20094A	204	+21.4%	8	25.50	30	1
St James N SAskeaton	09702H	110	−19.1%	5	20.80	23	0
Scoil Naomh IosefRathkeale	18653V	86	+24.6%	5	16.80	22	0
Croagh National SchoolRathkeale	02007A	78	−3.7%	4	19.50	27	0
Granagh National SchoolKilmallock	09927I	74	+1.4%	3	24.67	27	0
Coolcappa N SArdagh	11955C	54	+17.4%	3	18.00	23	0
Church Street National SchoolRathkeale	10929T	14	−48.1%	2	7.00	7	0