Cullen National School
Tipperary
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 14 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 8 girls, 6 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 07245S the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
In the South Tipperary village of Cullen, Scoil Chuilleann is a co-educational Catholic primary school with 14 pupils. The single storey building is energy efficient and contains two classrooms, a room for resource and learning support, and an office. Grounds are extensive, with grass and concrete areas for play. Extra-curricular activities include chess, golf, swimming, tag rugby and Gaelic football, along with tin whistle, quizzes and plays. The school holds Green School and Health Promoting School status. Digital learning draws on G-Suite for Education and Seesaw. A preschool and afterschool service operates at the school, and a bus route serves Tipperary Town, Lattin and Cullen. Doors open at 9.10am, teaching begins at 9.20am and the day ends at 3pm. An active Parents Council takes part in day to day school life. The motto is 'Ní neart go cur le chéile'. The school sets out its aim as a secure atmosphere in which the needs of pupils, intellectual and spiritual as well as physical, moral and cultural, are identified and met, with due recognition for all beliefs. It also states an intention to promote the speaking of Gaeilge.
History
Education in the parish began in the hedge-schools of Cullen in the 1800s. A first school building, made of stone and mortar under a thatched roof, followed in 1842. A storm brought it down in 1849, and for the next eleven years classes were held in the local chapel. A two-storey school was put up in the village in 1860 and stayed in use until the present building was completed in 1967. Glenbane School, also in the parish, closed that same year and its pupils transferred to Cullen. In December 2020, after a full internal upgrade of the building, the name changed from Cullen National School to Scoil Chuilleann. New yards and the preschool and afterschool service have been in place since January 2022.
Applying to Cullen 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 Cullen 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 Cullen National School
How many pupils attend Cullen National School?
Cullen National School has 14 pupils enrolled, 8 girls and 6 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Cullen National School a DEIS school?
No. Cullen 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 Cullen National School?
Cullen National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.