Planning area in Clare

Limerick City

Schools in County Clare in this planning area.

This planning area also covers 43 schools in Limerick. See the whole planning area

Schools
3
of 109 in Clare
Pupils
677
5% of Clare's pupils
Since 2015/16
−20.5%
852 pupils in 2015/16
Average school size
225.7
Clare: 118.5
Average class size
24.63
Clare: 21.09

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 Clare, schools with no planning area had 0.6% of pupils in 2015/16, 6.1% in 2005/06 and 24.8% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

677

+12 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

3

3 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

225.7

127.3 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

24.63

+1.09 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.

Junior infants

Pupils starting school each year. Class-by-class figures start in 2020/21. 95 in 2025/26, +1 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

3 schools with figures for both years

3fell by 10% or more
0within 10%
0grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 1Down 10 to 25% · 2Within 10% · 0Up 10 to 25% · 0Up 25% or more · 0

Average class size in these schools went from 26.6 in 2015/16 to 24.6 in 2025/26. 0 of the 3 schools that fell by 10% or more kept or added classes. A fall in pupils can mean smaller classes rather than fewer children wanting places. Smaller classes

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
24.63
Mainstream classes
27
Classes of 30 or more
4
Schools with a class of 30+
2

Teachers

Teachers in the 3 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
27
Up 1 since 2006/07, while pupils fell 3%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 47
Estimate: 27 class teachers, 2 principals and deputies, 16 special education and 2 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
48
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
0 / 1
0 schools 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 Limerick City, and the special classes in the 3 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
2
In 2 of 3 schools. 1 in 2023/24
Allocated for 2026/27
3
In 2 schools: 1 new class
Autism classes
2
100% of special classes

Special classes since 2023/24

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

  • 2023/24 1
  • 2024/25 1
  • 2025/26 2
  • 2026/27 3

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).

What parents would prefer

4,439 households answered the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey for the Limerick City planning area: 3,019 with children at its schools and 1,420 with children not yet at school. Each said whether they would prefer co-educational or single-sex schooling, a denominational or multi-denominational patron, and teaching through Irish or English. These are the whole area's figures, across county lines: the Department doesn't split areas by county.

Compare with other areas
Households that answered
4,439
38% of households asked
Prefer a multi-denominational patron
38% / 41%
Children at school / not yet at school
Prefer teaching through Irish
24% / 29%
Children at school / not yet at school
Prefer single-sex
8% / 9%
Children at school / not yet at school

Preferences beside what the schools offer now

Share of pupils in schools of each kind in the area, and share of parents who would prefer it

  • Pupils in such schools now
  • Parents: children at school
  • Parents: children not yet at school

Multi-denominational patron

576 pupils (5%) in 2 schools

  • Pupils in such schools now: 5%
  • Parents: children at school: 38%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 41%

Teaching through Irish

1,830 pupils (14%) in 5 schools

  • Pupils in such schools now: 14%
  • Parents: children at school: 24%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 29%

Single-sex

2,151 pupils (17%) in 10 schools

  • Pupils in such schools now: 17%
  • Parents: children at school: 8%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 9%

Bars run from 0 to 50%.

Each school's parents

Parents of children at each school. Bold marks the school's set-up now.

Share of parents at each school who would prefer each
Scoil Moin A LinCastletroy 847 152 of 614 ±6.6 51%12%1% 58 answered
Scoil NeassainMungret 668 180 of 495 ±6.1 32%6%1% 46 answered
Scoil IdeLimerick 654 196 of 489 ±5.8 42%18%1% 97 answered
An Mhodh ScoilLuimneach 578 184 of 425 ±6 47%82%1% 57 answered
Scoil Phoil NaofaDooradoyle 573 186 of 405 ±6 31%7%2% 36 answered
Milford Grange N SchoolCastletroy 479 148 of 326 ±6.7 43%11%2% 60 answered
St Brigids NSLimerick 457 103 of 348 ±8 28%16%1% 44 answered
Gaelscoil Chaladh an TreoighCaladh an Treoigh 412 86 of 257 ±8.7 47%85%0% 43 answered
Corpus Christi N SLimerick 403 98 of 298 ±8.2 7%10%6% 56 answered
Gaelscoil an RaithinLuimneach 389 109 of 259 ±7.8 24%93%0% 58 answered
Limerick City East Educate Together NSMungret 373 80 of 273 ±9 85%16%6% –
Gaelscoil SairsealLuimneach 369 118 of 255 ±7.5 49%92%1% 77 answered
Scoil Mathair deLimerick City 362 56 of 258 ±10.7 41%7%12% –
Salesian Primary SchoolLimerick 361 112 of 291 ±7.7 47%8%21% 72 answered
Our Lady Queen of Peace SchoolLimerick 326 88 of 240 ±8.6 15%11%7% 47 answered
SN an Phairtin MixedParteen 317 91 of 222 ±8.5 37%15%0% 40 answered
S N Lios na GroiLisnagry 295 57 of 175 ±10.6 49%18%0% –
S N Naomh IosefClarina 290 65 of 195 ±10 29%15%0% –
Presentation Primary SchoolLimerick 279 48 of 203 ±11.6 42%2%35% –
Scoil Chriost Ri BLimerick 278 99 of 234 ±8.2 34%16%39% –
Scoil Seanain NaofaClonlara 276 75 of 161 ±9.3 37%23%1% –
Scoil an Spioraid NaomhBallysheedy 267 97 of 173 ±8.2 39%16%1% –
S N Muire na hEireannLimerick 262 106 of 222 ±7.9 29%8%40% –
St Johns ConventLimerick 223 34 of 162 ±13.6 41%6%24% –
Scoil IosagainLimerick 222 61 of 190 ±10.3 34%8%43% –
J F K Memorial SchoolLimerick 218 74 of 190 ±9.4 49%9%28% –
Thomond Primary SchoolLimerick 215 43 of 140 ±12.2 21%9%0% 68 answered
Limerick School ProjectLimerick 203 58 of 158 ±10.6 88%14%0% –
Scoil Padraig Naofa BLimerick 197 71 of 166 ±9.6 35%13%32% –
Scoil Padraig Naofa CLimerick 197 65 of 160 ±10 20%11%48% –
Knockea National SchoolBallyneety 191 37 of 114 ±13.1 27%16%0% –
Le Chéile National SchoolLimerick 174 22 of 109 ±16.5 23%9%0% –
Our Lady of Lourdes N SLimerick 161 20 of 110 ±17.3 20%15%5% –
St Mary's National SchoolLimerick 152 32 of 104 ±14 28%3%9% 40 answered
Scoil Tobar PadraigPatrickswell 143 38 of 91 ±12.9 42%8%0% –
Donoughmore N SDonoughmore 140 35 of 101 ±13.4 34%14%6% –
St Michaels NSLimerick 126 19 of 109 ±17.7 37%11%26% –
Our Ladys AbbeyAdare 125 20 of 72 ±17.3 40%10%40% –
St MichaelsLimerick 116 29 of 100 ±14.6 62%3%7% –
Bohermore N SBallysimon 100 22 of 58 ±16.5 45%9%5% –
Scoil Nais Cathair Chinn LisCaherconlish 100 20 of 71 ±17.3 35%5%10% –
S N Mhuire MiliucVia Limerick 84 33 of 64 ±13.8 18%9%0% –
Gaelscoil SheoirseLuimneach 82 19 of 52 ±17.7 26%63%0% –
St John the Baptist Boys N SLimerick 68 13 of 47 ±20.8 62%8%23% –
St. Nicholas Church of Ireland SchoolAdare 54 11 of 37 ±22.2 55%0%0% –
Carnane MXD N SFedamore 30 7 of 19 ±26.4 43%0%0% –

Grey margins of error are 15 points or more: so few parents answered that the figures could be well off. “Too few to publish”: the Department held back the school's results, but its parents' answers still count in the area figures. Not yet at school: how many parents of children not yet at school chose the school, shown where 30 or more did. Special schools in the area are counted in the area figures above.

Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. The area figures count each household once, including parents at schools too small for their own results, so they aren't the school figures added up. About these figures

Schools

3 schools, largest first.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

Roll number
SN an Phairtin MixedParteen 16946D 317
−15.5%
+66.8%
12 25.92 32 3
Scoil Seanain NaofaClonlara 04548V 276
−19.1%
−10.7%
11 25.09 33 1
S N Mhuire MiliucVia Limerick 18225A 84
−38.2%
−42.9%
4 19.50 21 0