ABACAS Kilbarrack
kilbarrack, Dublin
Key facts
- Special school
- Some Irish-medium
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 54 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 12 girls, 42 boys
- Ethos
- Multi Denominational
- Teaching through Irish
- Some subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 20375I the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
ABACAS Kilbarrack is a specialist school dedicated to supporting autistic children and young adults who have co‑occurring intellectual disabilities. The school caters for 54 pupils aged three to eighteen, including an Early Intervention class for children aged three to five. Each learner follows an individual educational plan that is crafted from comprehensive assessments and is regularly reviewed to reflect their evolving interests, strengths and needs. The curriculum is delivered across nine purpose‑designed classrooms, split between Junior and Senior programmes, allowing students to be placed according to age and specific requirements while benefiting from a high staff‑to‑student ratio and small class sizes that promote personalised attention and meaningful interaction. The school’s teaching and learning philosophy is built on four defining standards that guide assessment, specialised support, adaptive teaching approaches and technically precise learning goals. In the Early Intervention “Busy Bees” classroom, six children receive targeted tuition that integrates visual schedules, routine, and a range of communication modalities such as PECS, Lámh and AAC to develop social, communication and academic skills. A supportive, close‑knit community underpins daily life, with teamwork and collaboration at the heart of the school culture, reinforced by ongoing in‑house professional development for staff to continually enhance student outcomes.
Applying to ABACAS Kilbarrack
For a September 2027 place, a school's formal admissions process cannot begin before 1 October 2026. The school sets its own opening and closing dates in its annual admission notice.
National term dates 2026/27
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to ABACAS Kilbarrack. Individual schools set their own discretionary closure days, confirm exact dates with the school.
- October Mid-Term Break: Mon 26 Oct – Fri 30 Oct 2026
- Christmas Holidays: Wed 23 Dec 2026 – Tue 5 Jan 2027
- February Mid-Term Break: Thu 18 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027 (post-primary schools: Mon 15 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027)
- Easter Holidays: Mon 22 Mar – Sun 4 Apr 2027
Primary schools close for the last two days of the February mid-term week and may use discretionary days to take the full week, so their break can be shorter than post-primary schools'.
Frequently asked questions about ABACAS Kilbarrack
How many pupils attend ABACAS Kilbarrack?
ABACAS Kilbarrack has 54 pupils enrolled, 12 girls and 42 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is ABACAS Kilbarrack a DEIS school?
No. ABACAS Kilbarrack is not part of DEIS, the Department of Education programme of additional supports for schools serving communities at risk of educational disadvantage. Not holding DEIS status says nothing about how good a school is, only about the profile of the community it serves.
Does ABACAS Kilbarrack teach through Irish?
Partly. ABACAS Kilbarrack teaches some subjects through Irish.