Beara Community School
Beara, Cork
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 308 smaller than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 152 girls, 156 boys
- Ethos
- Inter Denominational
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 91387Q the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Scoil Phobail Bhéara, also known as Beara Community School, is an inter-denominational post-primary school in Castletownbere, Co. Cork, with a mixed enrolment of about 308 students. Junior Cycle, the Junior Certificate School Programme, Transition Year, the established Leaving Certificate and the Leaving Certificate Applied are all provided, along with Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes. Senior cycle core subjects are Irish, English and Mathematics, with options including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agricultural Science, Construction Studies, Engineering, Technology, Design and Communication Graphics, Business, French, Geography, History, Home Economics, Art and PE. Three special classes operate, two for autism and one multi-disability, and students in them can take mainstream subjects. Rooms for art, home economics, woodwork, construction, engineering and technical graphics sit alongside science labs, a computer room, a library and study area, a sports hall, basketball and tennis courts, a sports pitch, a prayer room and a sensory room. Transition Year activities take in community care, community radio on Bere Island, drama, a French exchange and a student enterprise programme. The school motto is given as "Ní neart go cur le chéile".
History
The school was formed in 1980 through the amalgamation of two existing schools in the area: Meán Scoil Naomh Íosaf, which had been run by the Mercy Sisters, and Castletownbere Vocational School, which had been under Cork VEC, the body now known as Cork Education and Training Board.
Applying to Beara Community 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 post-primary school dates apply broadly to Beara Community 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: Mon 15 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027 (primary schools: Thu 18 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 Beara Community School
How many pupils attend Beara Community School?
Beara Community School has 308 pupils enrolled, 152 girls and 156 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is Beara Community School a DEIS school?
No. Beara Community 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 Beara Community School?
Beara Community School has an Inter Denominational ethos. It is a mixed post-primary school.