School planning area

Thurles

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

14 primary schools and 1,856 pupils in 2025/26, in County Tipperary.

Pupils in 2025/26: 1,856; −45 on 2024/25
Since 2015/16: −4.3%; 1,940 pupils in 2015/16
Schools: 14; No change on 2024/25
Average class size: 21.68; Average school size: 132.6

Trends in Thurles

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 Tipperary, schools with no planning area had 3.2% of pupils in 2015/16, 7.0% in 2005/06 and 21.8% in 1976/77. Known data issues

Pupils

1,856

−45 on 2024/25

1976/772025/26

Schools

12 in 1976/77

1976/772025/26

Average pupils per school

132.6

148.6 in 1976/77

1976/772025/26

Average class size

21.68

−0.64 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. 227 in 2025/26, +45 on 2024/25.

Girls and boys

Each school year.

Irish-medium schools

Pupils in schools that teach all subjects through Irish (1 school today). 194 pupils in 2025/26, 10.5% of the area's pupils, against 11.5% 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

14 schools with figures for both years

6fell by 10% or more

3within 10%

5grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 1Down 10 to 25% · 5Within 10% · 3Up 10 to 25% · 3Up 25% or more · 2

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: 21.68
Mainstream classes: 82
Classes of 30 or more: 4
Schools with a class of 30+: 3

Teachers

Teachers in the 14 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: 82; Up 7 since 2006/07, while pupils fell 2%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 145; Estimate: 82 class teachers, 8 principals and deputies, 42 special education and 13 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 114; 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 Thurles planning area, and the special classes in the 14 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: 13; In 8 of 14 schools. 7 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27: 13; In 8 schools
Autism classes: 12; 92% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

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

2020/21 7
2021/22 9
2022/23 11
2023/24 11
2024/25 12
2025/26 13
2026/27 13

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

14 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
Presentation Primary SchoolThurles	19874T	247	+5.1%	11	21.36	28	0
Scoil AngelaThurles	18135W	219	−21.8%	9	24.33	32	1
S N Micheal NaofaThurles	18775M	195	−14.8%	9	20.33	26	0
Gaelscoil Durlas EileDurlas	19968F	194	−13.4%	8	24.25	31	1
Scoil AilbheThurles	17634M	189	−0.5%	8	22.88	32	2
Two Mile Borris N SThurles	16211C	148	+17.5%	6	22.67	29	0
S N Naomh PeadarThurles	04005G	138	−5.5%	6	23.00	28	0
S N LeamhachThurles	18213Q	117	+31.5%	5	21.00	28	0
S N Rath EilteThurles	18396E	94	+11.9%	4	22.00	27	0
S N ChaoimhghinThurles	18343G	83	+18.6%	4	17.75	28	0
S N na hInseThurles	18350D	83	+31.7%	4	20.75	27	0
S N na MaighneThurles	17681V	65	−33.7%	3	21.67	28	0
Ballycahill N SThurles	01569O	49	−22.2%	3	16.33	21	0
Gaile N SThurles	15299O	35	−18.6%	2	14.50	16	0