Bansha National School
Kilkee, Clare
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 7 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 5 girls, 2 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 11714D the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Founded in 1879, Bansha National School is one of four primary schools in the parish of Doonbeg, Co. Clare, and stands at Bansha near Kilkee. It is co-educational, under Catholic patronage, with 7 pupils enrolled. Teaching covers Junior Infants through to Sixth Class. Staffing includes two mainstream class teachers, a special education teacher, and part-time secretarial and caretaking support. Alongside the classroom curriculum, pupils take part in music, choir, gaelic games, basketball and soccer. The school has competed in the Digital School Awards, the Wow Reading Challenge, Discover Primary Science and gaelic games competitions. A Board of Management works with teachers and parents on curriculum and resources.
History
Bansha National School was established in 1879. A school had operated in the locality before then: by 1849 there was one in Bansha among 973 schools in Munster working under the national system set up in Ireland in 1831. On 20 January 1849 Edmund O'Mahoney of Knocknagore House applied to the commissioners for aid towards a teacher's salary and a supply of books. That school stood on Kett's land, roughly half a kilometre north of where the present building is. Returns for 30 September 1849 record 81 children on the rolls, 45 males and 36 females, under one teacher, Thomas Delohery, who was 42. Michael O'Neill succeeded him in August 1850, and further staff were appointed as the rolls grew. Patrick Coleman was headmaster in 1871, with Margaret Hickey and Mary Coleman as assistants.
Applying to Bansha National School
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 Bansha National School. 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 Bansha National School
How many pupils attend Bansha National School?
Bansha National School has 7 pupils enrolled, 5 girls and 2 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Bansha National School a DEIS school?
No. Bansha National School 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.
What is the ethos of Bansha National School?
Bansha National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.