Gaelscoil Riabhach
Baile Locha Riach · Roll number 20123E
- Multi Denominational ethos
- Not DEIS
- All subjects through Irish
- Pupils in 2025/26
- 170
- −1 on 2024/25
- Over 10 years
- −6%
- Down 10 from 180 in 2015/16
- 7 classes in 2015/16, 7 now; average class 25.7 → 23.4
- Over 20 years: +85% from 92 in 2005/06, while it was still adding classes
- Girls and boys
- 92 / 78
- 54% girls
Pupils since 2000
Total enrolment each school year
Shaded: the last 10 years, 2015/16 to 2025/26.
Pupils by class
Published for each class from 2020/21.
This year, 2025/26
170 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 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 29 | 20 | 23 | 21.5 |
| Senior Infants | 32 | 16 | 23 | 18 | 27 | 20 | 22.7 |
| 1st Class | 26 | 32 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 25 | 23.2 |
| 2nd Class | 21 | 24 | 32 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 21.7 |
| 3rd Class | 30 | 21 | 24 | 32 | 17 | 15 | 23.2 |
| 4th Class | 17 | 30 | 18 | 22 | 31 | 17 | 22.5 |
| 5th Class | 26 | 18 | 30 | 19 | 22 | 31 | 24.3 |
| 6th Class | 26 | 27 | 17 | 29 | 18 | 23 | 23.3 |
JI and SI are Junior and Senior Infants.
Started Junior Infants in 2024/25
20 in Junior Infants (2024/25), 20 in Senior Infants (2025/26): no change.
- 20Junior Infants2024/25
- 20Senior Infants2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2023/24
29 in Junior Infants (2023/24), 25 in 1st Class (2025/26): 4 pupils fewer.
- 29Junior Infants2023/24
- 27Senior Infants2024/25
- 251st Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2022/23
19 in Junior Infants (2022/23), 16 in 2nd Class (2025/26): 3 pupils fewer.
- 19Junior Infants2022/23
- 18Senior Infants2023/24
- 171st Class2024/25
- 162nd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2021/22
21 in Junior Infants (2021/22), 15 in 3rd Class (2025/26): 6 pupils fewer.
- 21Junior Infants2021/22
- 23Senior Infants2022/23
- 211st Class2023/24
- 192nd Class2024/25
- 153rd Class2025/26
Started Junior Infants in 2020/21
17 in Junior Infants (2020/21), 17 in 4th Class (2025/26): no change.
- 17Junior Infants2020/21
- 16Senior Infants2021/22
- 181st Class2022/23
- 182nd Class2023/24
- 173rd Class2024/25
- 174th Class2025/26
In Senior Infants in 2020/21
32 in Senior Infants (2020/21), 31 in 5th Class (2025/26): 1 pupil fewer.
- 32Senior Infants2020/21
- 321st Class2021/22
- 322nd Class2022/23
- 323rd Class2023/24
- 314th Class2024/25
- 315th Class2025/26
In 1st Class in 2020/21
26 in 1st Class (2020/21), 23 in 6th Class (2025/26): 3 pupils fewer.
- 261st Class2020/21
- 242nd Class2021/22
- 243rd Class2022/23
- 224th Class2023/24
- 225th Class2024/25
- 236th Class2025/26
In 2nd Class in 2020/21
21 in 2nd Class (2020/21), 18 in 6th Class (2024/25): 3 pupils fewer.
- 212nd Class2020/21
- 213rd Class2021/22
- 184th Class2022/23
- 195th Class2023/24
- 186th Class2024/25
In 3rd Class in 2020/21
30 in 3rd Class (2020/21), 29 in 6th Class (2023/24): 1 pupil fewer.
- 303rd Class2020/21
- 304th Class2021/22
- 305th Class2022/23
- 296th Class2023/24
In 4th Class in 2020/21
17 in 4th Class (2020/21), 17 in 6th Class (2022/23): no change.
- 174th Class2020/21
- 185th Class2021/22
- 176th Class2022/23
In 5th Class in 2020/21
26 in 5th Class (2020/21), 27 in 6th Class (2021/22): 1 pupil more.
- 265th Class2020/21
- 276th Class2021/22
Biggest one-year changes in a class
- +134th Class in 2021/22 (17 to 30)
- −16Senior Infants in 2021/22 (32 to 16)
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 Gaelscoil Riabhach, 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
12.6teaching posts
Our estimate: about 13 teachers.
- Class teachersOne for each of the 7 mainstream classes 7
- PrincipalRuns the school and doesn't teach a class 1
- Special education teachers90 hours of support teaching a week 3.6
- Special class teachersFor an autism class 1
3.83 special needs assistants (SNAs) also work with pupils. 6 pupils are in special classes, which the class sizes leave out.
The NCSE has allocated 3.6 special education teachers, 2 special class teachers and 6.83 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. Where there's no principal bar, the principal also taught a class. 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 Gaelscoil Riabhach, measured in a straight line. Pupil numbers are for 2025/26.
| Number on map | School | Distance | Pupils | Since 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaelscoil RiabhachThis school | – | 170 |
−5.6%
|
|
| 1 | S N Ide Naofa1.7 km · Loughrea | 1.7 km | 328 |
+10.1%
|
| 2 | St Brendans N S2.0 km · Loughrea · Boys | 2.0 km | 216 |
+10.8%
|
| 3 | S N Seosamh Naofa4.5 km · Athenry | 4.5 km | 203 |
+10.3%
|
| 4 | S N Cillini Dioma4.8 km · Loughrea | 4.8 km | 147 |
+38.7%
|
| 5 | Scoil Naomh Eanna5.1 km · Loughrea | 5.1 km | 208 |
+10.6%
|
| 6 | Kilchreest Central SCH7.4 km · Loughrea | 7.4 km | 110 |
+15.8%
|
What parents would prefer
In the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey (November–December 2025), parents said whether they would prefer this school to be co-educational or single-sex, to have a denominational or multi-denominational patron, and to teach through Irish or English. These are preferences, not applications or enrolments.
Children at this school
Their parents: 39 of 124 households answered (32%). The true figures are likely within 12.7 points either way.
Patron
Teaching language
Boys and girls
Children not yet at school
Fewer than 30 parents of children not yet at school chose this school, so the Department didn't publish their answers.
The bracket shows the margin of error the Department published for this school: 12.7 points either way.
| Parents of | Multi-denominational | Through Irish | Single-sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| This school · children at school | 67% | 85% | 0% |
| Loughrea planning area · children at school | 37% | 16% | 3% |
| Loughrea planning area · children not yet at school | 36% | 26% | 5% |
| Ireland · children at school | 44% | 20% | 5% |
| Ireland · children not yet at school | 47% | 26% | 6% |
Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. Planning-area and Ireland figures also count parents at schools where too few answered for the school to get its own results. About these figures
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
- Pól Mag Lionáin
- Phone
- 091847865
- [email protected]
- Address
- Bóthar Ráth Rodaigh, Cois Móna, Baile Locha Riach, Co. na Gaillimhe, H62 TK22
School
- Ethos
- Multi Denominational
- Patron
- An Foras Pátrúnachta
- School type
- Ordinary
- School level
- All Through
- DEIS
- Not DEIS
Language and area
- Irish classification
- All subjects through Irish
- Gaeltacht
- Non-Gaeltacht
- Island
- Not on an island
- Local authority
- Galway County Council
- Planning area
- Loughrea
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
26 school years from 2000/01 to 2025/26. Class figures start in 2020/21.
| Year | Total | Girls | Boys | JI | SI | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 170 | 92 | 78 | 23 | 20 | 25 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 31 | 23 |
| 2024/25 | 171 | 97 | 74 | 20 | 27 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 31 | 22 | 18 |
| 2023/24 | 188 | 107 | 81 | 29 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 32 | 22 | 19 | 29 |
| 2022/23 | 181 | 96 | 85 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 32 | 24 | 18 | 30 | 17 |
| 2021/22 | 189 | 105 | 84 | 21 | 16 | 32 | 24 | 21 | 30 | 18 | 27 |
| 2020/21 | 195 | 108 | 87 | 17 | 32 | 26 | 21 | 30 | 17 | 26 | 26 |
| 2019/20 | 202 | 107 | 95 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2018/19 | 194 | 110 | 84 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 177 | 97 | 80 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 185 | 99 | 86 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | 180 | 96 | 84 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014/15 | 181 | 94 | 87 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | 178 | 74 | 104 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 157 | 73 | 84 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 150 | 72 | 78 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 134 | 58 | 76 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 132 | 60 | 72 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2008/09 | 136 | 63 | 73 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 116 | 58 | 58 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 117 | 59 | 58 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2005/06 | 92 | 47 | 45 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2004/05 | 85 | 45 | 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | 59 | 31 | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002/03 | 49 | 27 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2001/02 | 35 | 17 | 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2000/01 | 15 | 8 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |