Holy Cross Primary School
Killarney · Roll number 19487M
- Catholic ethos
- Not DEIS
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 345
- −28 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- −14%
- Down 56 from 401 in 2015/16
- Girls and boys
- 248 / 97
- 72% girls
Pupils since 1977
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
345 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 | 59 | 69 | 58 | 56 | 53 | 70 | 60.8 |
| Senior Infants | 41 | 59 | 74 | 52 | 57 | 51 | 55.7 |
| 1st Class | 68 | 41 | 67 | 75 | 58 | 61 | 61.7 |
| 2nd Class | 40 | 31 | 34 | 32 | 44 | 26 | 34.5 |
| 3rd Class | 27 | 40 | 29 | 36 | 32 | 47 | 35.2 |
| 4th Class | 47 | 28 | 49 | 32 | 35 | 32 | 37.2 |
| 5th Class | 39 | 42 | 30 | 46 | 30 | 31 | 36.3 |
| 6th Class | 38 | 39 | 49 | 28 | 43 | 27 | 37.3 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
53 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 51 in Senior Infants (2025/26): 2 pupils fewer.
- 53Junior Infants2024/25
- 51Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
56 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 61 in 1st Class (2025/26): 5 pupils more.
- 56Junior Infants2023/24
- 57Senior Infants2024/25
- 611st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
58 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 26 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 32 pupils fewer.
- 58Junior Infants2022/23
- 52Senior Infants2023/24
- 581st Class2024/25
- 262nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
69 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 47 in 3rd Class (2025/26): 22 pupils fewer.
- 69Junior Infants2021/22
- 74Senior Infants2022/23
- 751st Class2023/24
- 442nd Class2024/25
- 473rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
59 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 32 in 4th Class (2025/26): 27 pupils fewer.
- 59Junior Infants2020/21
- 59Senior Infants2021/22
- 671st Class2022/23
- 322nd Class2023/24
- 323rd Class2024/25
- 324th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
41 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 31 in 5th Class (2025/26): 10 pupils fewer.
- 41Senior Infants2020/21
- 411st Class2021/22
- 342nd Class2022/23
- 363rd Class2023/24
- 354th Class2024/25
- 315th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
68 in 1st Class (2020/21), 27 in 6th Class (2025/26): 41 pupils fewer.
- 681st Class2020/21
- 312nd Class2021/22
- 293rd Class2022/23
- 324th Class2023/24
- 305th Class2024/25
- 276th Class2025/26
In 2nd Class in 2020/21
40 in 2nd Class (2020/21), 43 in 6th Class (2024/25): 3 pupils more.
- 402nd Class2020/21
- 403rd Class2021/22
- 494th Class2022/23
- 465th Class2023/24
- 436th Class2024/25
In 3rd Class in 2020/21
27 in 3rd Class (2020/21), 28 in 6th Class (2023/24): 1 pupil more.
- 273rd Class2020/21
- 284th Class2021/22
- 305th Class2022/23
- 286th Class2023/24
In 4th Class in 2020/21
47 in 4th Class (2020/21), 49 in 6th Class (2022/23): 2 pupils more.
- 474th Class2020/21
- 425th Class2021/22
- 496th Class2022/23
In 5th Class in 2020/21
39 in 5th Class (2020/21), 39 in 6th Class (2021/22): no change.
- 395th Class2020/21
- 396th Class2021/22
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +261st Class in 2022/23 (41 to 67)
- −271st Class in 2021/22 (68 to 41)
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 Holy Cross Primary 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
29teaching posts
Our estimate: about 29 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 16 mainstream classes 16
- PrincipalRuns the school and doesn't teach a class 1
- Special education teachers200 hours of support teaching a week 8
- Special class teachersFor 3 autism classes and an early intervention class 4
15.66 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils. 24 pupils are in special classes, which the class sizes leave out.
The NCSE has allocated 7.7 special education teachers, 4 special class teachers and 15.66 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 Holy Cross Primary School, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Cross Primary SchoolThis school | – | 345 |
−14.0%
|
|
| 1 | Scoil Mhuire na Mainistreach0.2 km · Killarney · Boys | 0.2 km | 167 |
0.0%
|
| 2 | St Olivers NS1.6 km · Killarney | 1.6 km | 625 |
−19.5%
|
| 3 | Gaelscoil Faithleann1.7 km · Cill Airne · Gaelscoil | 1.7 km | 245 |
+8.4%
|
| 4 | Scoil Bhríde3.8 km · Killarney | 3.8 km | 129 |
+19.4%
|
| 5 | Lissivigeen MXD N S4.0 km · Killarney | 4.0 km | 269 |
−1.1%
|
| 6 | Two Mile Community National School4.1 km · Killarney · Multi-denominational | 4.1 km | 46 |
+170.6%
|
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
- Alice Davern
- Phone
- 0646631241
- [email protected]
- Address
- New Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry, V93 A096
School
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Patron
- Bishop of Kerry
- School type
- Ordinary with Special Classes
- School level
- All Through
- DEIS
- Not DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- No subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- Kerry County Council
- Planning area
- Killarney
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
40 school years from 1977/78 to 2025/26. Class figures start in 2020/21.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys | JI | SI | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 345 | 248 | 97 | 70 | 51 | 61 | 26 | 47 | 32 | 31 | 27 |
| 2024/25 | 373 | 281 | 92 | 53 | 57 | 58 | 44 | 32 | 35 | 30 | 43 |
| 2023/24 | 378 | 283 | 95 | 56 | 52 | 75 | 32 | 36 | 32 | 46 | 28 |
| 2022/23 | 408 | 306 | 102 | 58 | 74 | 67 | 34 | 29 | 49 | 30 | 49 |
| 2021/22 | 372 | 285 | 87 | 69 | 59 | 41 | 31 | 40 | 28 | 42 | 39 |
| 2020/21 | 375 | 285 | 90 | 59 | 41 | 68 | 40 | 27 | 47 | 39 | 38 |
| 2019/20 | 386 | 287 | 99 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 407 | 301 | 106 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 416 | 296 | 120 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 404 | 286 | 118 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 401 | 273 | 128 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 411 | 281 | 130 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 397 | 276 | 121 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 384 | 262 | 122 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 379 | 272 | 107 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 382 | 276 | 106 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 404 | 304 | 100 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 405 | 297 | 108 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 404 | 298 | 106 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 385 | 277 | 108 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 367 | 271 | 96 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 337 | 264 | 73 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 331 | 255 | 76 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 310 | 227 | 83 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 304 | 210 | 94 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 300 | 218 | 82 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999/00 | 284 | 210 | 74 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1998/99 | 264 | 199 | 65 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1997/98 | 263 | 200 | 63 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1996/97 | 263 | 205 | 58 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1995/96 | 266 | 205 | 61 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1994/95 | 302 | 236 | 66 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1993/94 | 317 | 250 | 67 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1983/84 | 515 | 403 | 112 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1982/83 | 548 | 419 | 129 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1981/82 | 580 | 437 | 143 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1980/81 | 602 | 454 | 148 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1979/80 | 640 | 475 | 165 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1978/79 | 630 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1977/78 | 650 | 482 | 168 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |