Clarecastle National School
Clarecastle · Roll number 17026M
- Catholic ethos
- DEIS
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 362
- +6 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- −4%
- Down 16 from 378 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 179 / 183
- 49% girls
Pupils since 1975
Total enrolment each school year
Shaded: the last 10 years, 2015/16 to 2025/26. 1983/84 is left out because its source file is incomplete, and no files exist for 1984/85 to 1992/93. Known data issues
Pupils by class
Published for each class from 2020/21.
This year, 2025/26
362 pupils across 8 classes
Every class, every year
Darker cells have more pupils. A group of pupils moves down one class and right one year.
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Infants | 48 | 49 | 35 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 43.3 |
| Senior Infants | 48 | 47 | 50 | 40 | 44 | 44 | 45.5 |
| 1st Class | 34 | 47 | 45 | 48 | 45 | 45 | 44.0 |
| 2nd Class | 38 | 34 | 49 | 46 | 48 | 47 | 43.7 |
| 3rd Class | 53 | 38 | 34 | 49 | 48 | 50 | 45.3 |
| 4th Class | 52 | 53 | 37 | 35 | 47 | 49 | 45.5 |
| 5th Class | 42 | 54 | 55 | 42 | 33 | 54 | 46.7 |
| 6th Class | 51 | 44 | 52 | 56 | 42 | 32 | 46.2 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
43 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 44 in Senior Infants (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 43Junior Infants2024/25
- 44Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
44 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 45 in 1st Class (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 44Junior Infants2023/24
- 44Senior Infants2024/25
- 451st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
35 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 47 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 12 pupils more.
- 35Junior Infants2022/23
- 40Senior Infants2023/24
- 451st Class2024/25
- 472nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
49 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 50 in 3rd Class (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 49Junior Infants2021/22
- 50Senior Infants2022/23
- 481st Class2023/24
- 482nd Class2024/25
- 503rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
48 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 49 in 4th Class (2025/26): 1 pupil more.
- 48Junior Infants2020/21
- 47Senior Infants2021/22
- 451st Class2022/23
- 462nd Class2023/24
- 483rd Class2024/25
- 494th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
48 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 54 in 5th Class (2025/26): 6 pupils more.
- 48Senior Infants2020/21
- 471st Class2021/22
- 492nd Class2022/23
- 493rd Class2023/24
- 474th Class2024/25
- 545th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
34 in 1st Class (2020/21), 32 in 6th Class (2025/26): 2 pupils fewer.
- 341st Class2020/21
- 342nd Class2021/22
- 343rd Class2022/23
- 354th Class2023/24
- 335th Class2024/25
- 326th Class2025/26
In 2nd Class in 2020/21
38 in 2nd Class (2020/21), 42 in 6th Class (2024/25): 4 pupils more.
- 382nd Class2020/21
- 383rd Class2021/22
- 374th Class2022/23
- 425th Class2023/24
- 426th Class2024/25
In 3rd Class in 2020/21
53 in 3rd Class (2020/21), 56 in 6th Class (2023/24): 3 pupils more.
- 533rd Class2020/21
- 534th Class2021/22
- 555th Class2022/23
- 566th Class2023/24
In 4th Class in 2020/21
52 in 4th Class (2020/21), 52 in 6th Class (2022/23): no change.
- 524th Class2020/21
- 545th Class2021/22
- 526th Class2022/23
In 5th Class in 2020/21
42 in 5th Class (2020/21), 44 in 6th Class (2021/22): 2 pupils more.
- 425th Class2020/21
- 446th Class2021/22
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +215th Class in 2025/26 (33 to 54)
- −164th Class in 2022/23 (53 to 37)
Class sizes
Mainstream class groups, 2006/07 to 2025/26.
Why these won't match pupils by class
Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to. So these figures won't match the pupils-by-class figures exactly.
In 2025/26. Choose a figure to chart it.
Class sizes over time
Average class size, 2006/07 to 2025/26
Teachers
Who teaches at Clarecastle National School, 2006/07 to 2025/26.
How we count teachers
Class teachers come from the Department of Education's class sizes: one for each mainstream class. Special education and special class teachers are the posts the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates. We add a principal who doesn't teach a class where the Department's rules give the school one. These are posts, not people: part of a post can be a teacher shared with another school. Up to 2015/16 the Department counted every teacher itself. Known data issues
In 2025/26
22.1teaching posts
Our estimate: about 22 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 15 mainstream classes 15
- PrincipalRuns the school and doesn't teach a class 1
- Special education teachers127.5 hours of support teaching a week 5.1
- Special class teachersFor an autism class 1
7.5 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils. 6 pupils are in special classes, which the class sizes leave out.
The NCSE has allocated 5.2 special education teachers, 1 special class teacher and 7.5 SNAs for next year.
Teachers since 2006/07
Teachers each school year, by role
To 2015/16: the Department of Education's count of every teacher. From 2019/20: our estimate, from class sizes and the NCSE's allocations. Dashed boxes: no special education figures were published for those years, so only class teachers and the principal are shown. Known data issues
Sources: Department of Education class sizes and teacher counts; NCSE school allocations and special classes (CC BY 4.0).
Nearby schools
The 6 primary schools closest to Clarecastle National School, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarecastle National SchoolThis school | – | 362 |
−4.2%
|
|
| 1 | Ennis N S2.7 km · Ennis | 2.7 km | 615 |
+9.4%
|
| 2 | Holy Family SNR2.9 km · Ennis · DEIS | 2.9 km | 306 |
−10.5%
|
| 3 | Holy Family Junior School2.9 km · Ennis · DEIS | 2.9 km | 167 |
−12.6%
|
| 4 | Bunscoil na mBraithre3.5 km · Ennis | 3.5 km | 643 |
−3.3%
|
| 5 | Chriost Ri3.6 km · Ennis · DEIS | 3.6 km | 226 |
+2.3%
|
| 6 | S N Dubh Rath3.9 km · Clarecastle | 3.9 km | 113 |
+32.9%
|
About this school
Inspection reports open on gov.ie, under the name the school had when it was inspected. They describe specific areas of the school's work rather than giving an overall grade. Newer schools may not have one yet.
Contact
- Principal
- Michael James Malone
- Phone
- 0656828274
- [email protected]
- Address
- Ennis Road, Clarecastle, Co. Clare, V95 T253
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Patron
- Bishop of Killaloe
- School type
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- School level
- All Through
- DEIS
- DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- No subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- Clare County Council
- Planning area
- Ennis
Each detail is the latest one the Department of Education has recorded for this school. If a detail was left blank in 2025/26, we show it from an earlier year, so some details may be older than the pupil numbers. Known data issues
Data by year
41 school years from 1975/76 to 2025/26. Class figures start in 2020/21.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys | JI | SI | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 362 | 179 | 183 | 41 | 44 | 45 | 47 | 50 | 49 | 54 | 32 |
| 2024/25 | 356 | 171 | 185 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 33 | 42 |
| 2023/24 | 360 | 163 | 197 | 44 | 40 | 48 | 46 | 49 | 35 | 42 | 56 |
| 2022/23 | 357 | 159 | 198 | 35 | 50 | 45 | 49 | 34 | 37 | 55 | 52 |
| 2021/22 | 366 | 169 | 197 | 49 | 47 | 47 | 34 | 38 | 53 | 54 | 44 |
| 2020/21 | 366 | 166 | 200 | 48 | 48 | 34 | 38 | 53 | 52 | 42 | 51 |
| 2019/20 | 361 | 161 | 200 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 371 | 172 | 199 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 392 | 182 | 210 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 372 | 180 | 192 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 378 | 186 | 192 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 374 | 184 | 190 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 383 | 192 | 191 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 384 | 189 | 195 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 384 | 191 | 193 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 367 | 172 | 195 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 357 | 180 | 177 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 341 | 172 | 169 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 322 | 160 | 162 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 312 | 155 | 157 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 298 | 145 | 153 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 297 | 141 | 156 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 288 | 131 | 157 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 274 | 130 | 144 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 283 | 131 | 152 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 263 | 125 | 138 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999/00 | 249 | 119 | 130 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1998/99 | 254 | 122 | 132 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1997/98 | 240 | 112 | 128 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1996/97 | 254 | 120 | 134 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1995/96 | 264 | 133 | 131 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1994/95 | 268 | 136 | 132 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1993/94 | 277 | 135 | 142 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1982/83 | 170 | 0 | 170 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1981/82 | 159 | 0 | 159 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1980/81 | 151 | 0 | 151 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1979/80 | 138 | 0 | 138 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1978/79 | 132 | 0 | 132 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1977/78 | 122 | 0 | 122 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1976/77 | 118 | 0 | 118 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1975/76 | 98 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |