Planning area in Offaly

Tullamore–Killina

Schools in County Offaly in this planning area.

All planning areas in Ireland

Schools
20
of 67 in Offaly
Pupils
3,765
41% of Offaly's pupils
Since 2015/16
−0.4%
3,781 pupils in 2015/16
Average school size
188.2
Offaly: 138.7
Average class size
20.85
Offaly: 20.89

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 Offaly, schools with no planning area had 0.0% of pupils in 2015/16, 5.1% in 2005/06 and 14.6% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

3,765

−69 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

20

16 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

188.2

189.0 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

20.85

−0.82 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. 460 in 2025/26, +60 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

Pupils in schools that teach all subjects through Irish (1 school today). 185 pupils in 2025/26, 4.9% of the area's pupils, against 5.5% 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

20 schools with figures for both years

7fell by 10% or more
7within 10%
6grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 2Down 10 to 25% · 5Within 10% · 7Up 10 to 25% · 3Up 25% or more · 3

Average class size in these schools went from 24.6 in 2015/16 to 20.8 in 2025/26. 7 of the 7 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

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 Charleville N STullamore, Co. Offaly 99 → 173 +74.7%
  2. 2 Arden Boys NSTullamore, Co. Offaly 140 → 215 +53.6%
  3. 3 S N SeosamhTullamore, Co. Offaly 72 → 97 +34.7%
  4. 4 S N MhuireBlueball, Co. Offaly 61 → 72 +18.0%
  5. 5 Daingean N SDaingean, Co. Offaly 223 → 261 +17.0%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 Scoil MhuireTullamore, Co. Offaly 357 → 249 −30.3%
  2. 2 S N Chartaigh NaofaTullamore, Co. Offaly 200 → 147 −26.5%
  3. 3 S N Naomh Brighde BuachTullamore, Co. Offaly 154 → 116 −24.7%
  4. 4 Scoil BhrideRhode, Co. Offaly 92 → 70 −23.9%
  5. 5 St. Joseph's N.S.Tullamore, Co. Offaly 412 → 360 −12.6%

Ranked by percentage change. Only schools with 50 or more pupils in 2015/16 are ranked, leaving out any still filling their classes then, because a few pupils make a big percentage in a small or new school. An amalgamation, a new school nearby or smaller classes can also explain a big rise or fall.

Class sizes

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

Average class size
20.85
Mainstream classes
170
Classes of 30 or more
8
Schools with a class of 30+
5

Teachers

Teachers in the 20 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
170
Up 47 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 18%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 299
Estimate: 170 class teachers, 18 principals and deputies, 75 special education and 36 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
230
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
5 / 2
5 schools gained a class teacher, 2 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Special schools and special classes

1 special school in Tullamore–Killina, and the special classes in its 20 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools
Pupils in special schools
42
In 1 school, up from 19 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26
36
In 16 of 20 schools. 27 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
41
In 18 schools: 5 new classes, 2 schools with their first
Autism classes
23
64% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In Tullamore–Killina's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

  • 2020/21 27
  • 2021/22 30
  • 2022/23 32
  • 2023/24 34
  • 2024/25 36
  • 2025/26 36
  • 2026/27 41

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special schools in Tullamore–Killina
Special school Pupils Since 2015/16 Teaching posts SNAs
Offaly School of Special EducationTullamore · Severe or profound general learning disability 42
+121.1%
7 25.5

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

What parents would prefer

1,186 households answered the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey for the Tullamore–Killina planning area: 778 with children at its schools and 408 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.

Compare with other areas
Households that answered
1,186
40% of households asked
Prefer a multi-denominational patron
36% / 36%
Children at school / not yet at school
Prefer teaching through Irish
14% / 25%
Children at school / not yet at school
Prefer single-sex
4% / 5%
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

236 pupils (6%) in 1 school

  • Pupils in such schools now: 6%
  • Parents: children at school: 36%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 36%

Teaching through Irish

185 pupils (5%) in 1 school

  • Pupils in such schools now: 5%
  • Parents: children at school: 14%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 25%

Single-sex

744 pupils (20%) in 4 schools

  • Pupils in such schools now: 20%
  • Parents: children at school: 4%
  • Parents: children not yet at school: 5%

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
St. Joseph's N.S.Tullamore 360 120 of 314 ±7.4 32%8%3% 70 answered
Scoil Colmain NaofaTullamore 322 61 of 168 ±10.3 43%16%3% –
Shinchill N SKilleigh 286 64 of 190 ±10.1 34%11%0% –
Daingean N SDaingean 261 59 of 177 ±10.5 31%10%2% –
Scoil MhuireTullamore 249 36 of 192 ±13.2 33%3%14% –
Tullamore Educate Together NSTullamore 236 50 of 183 ±11.3 72%2%6% –
Arden Boys NSTullamore 215 56 of 196 ±10.7 20%9%23% –
Ballykilmurry N STullamore 199 61 of 133 ±10.3 26%13%0% –
S N Naomh CholumchilleTullamore 197 69 of 130 ±9.7 32%7%1% –
S N Sheosaimh NaofaTullamore 193 49 of 128 ±11.4 37%12%0% –
Gaelscoil an Eiscir RiadaAn Tulach Mhor 185 47 of 129 ±11.7 36%87%0% –
Charleville N STullamore 173 26 of 132 ±15.4 58%0%0% –
S N Naomh PhilomenaTullamore 164 50 of 152 ±11.3 20%10%10% –
S N Chartaigh NaofaTullamore 147 37 of 78 ±13.1 35%3%3% –
Geashill 1 N SGeashill 126 32 of 87 ±14 34%19%0% –
S N Naomh Brighde BuachTullamore 116 19 of 105 ±17.7 26%11%11% –
S N SeosamhTullamore 97 26 of 64 ±15.4 15%12%0% –
St Colmans N STullamore 97 30 of 67 ±14.4 37%27%0% 33 answered
S N MhuireBlueball 72 18 of 42 ±18.1 33%11%0% –
Scoil BhrideRhode 70 14 of 36 ±20.1 21%21%0% 41 answered

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

20 schools, largest first.

Change over

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Roll number
St. Joseph's N.S.Tullamore 18797W 360
−12.6%
+11.5%
20 16.90 19 0
Scoil Colmain NaofaTullamore 17746A 322
+6.3%
+46.4%
13 23.38 32 2
Shinchill N SKilleigh 17031F 286
+7.9%
+36.2%
12 22.83 30 2
Daingean N SDaingean 16620T 261
+17.0%
+21.4%
11 22.64 30 2
Scoil MhuireTullamore 18057F 249
−30.3%
−39.7%
14 16.43 24 0
Tullamore Educate Together NSTullamore 20189L 236
+14.0%
– 10 22.40 29 0
Arden Boys NSTullamore 19713S 215
+53.6%
+49.3%
9 23.22 27 0
Ballykilmurry N STullamore 15656M 199
−6.6%
−16.7%
8 22.62 25 0
S N Naomh CholumchilleTullamore 17508H 197
−6.2%
+26.3%
8 23.88 30 1
S N Sheosaimh NaofaTullamore 17637S 193
+4.9%
+17.7%
8 22.62 29 0
Gaelscoil an Eiscir RiadaAn Tulach Mhor 19990V 185
−10.6%
−8.0%
8 23.12 26 0
Charleville N STullamore 10353P 173
+74.7%
+154.4%
7 23.00 27 0
S N Naomh PhilomenaTullamore 16928B 164
+7.2%
+41.4%
8 19.88 26 0
S N Chartaigh NaofaTullamore 20273A 147
−26.5%
– 7 16.71 27 0
Geashill 1 N SGeashill 09191I 126
+5.0%
+38.5%
6 18.67 27 0
S N Naomh Brighde BuachTullamore 18524K 116
−24.7%
−34.5%
6 17.50 23 0
S N SeosamhTullamore 07191V 97
+34.7%
+36.6%
4 21.25 27 0
St Colmans N STullamore 19354Q 97
−11.0%
+14.1%
4 24.25 28 0
S N MhuireBlueball 18795S 72
+18.0%
+33.3%
3 24.00 31 1
Scoil BhrideRhode 18690E 70
−23.9%
−23.1%
4 17.50 26 0