Doolin Mixed National School
Clare
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 93 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 39 girls, 54 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 17517I the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Doolin Mixed National School is a Catholic primary school serving the village of Doolin in County Clare. The school describes itself as a happy, vibrant learning community that seeks to meet the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral, social and cultural needs of its pupils. Its ethos promotes a love of learning, resilience and integrity, encouraging children to become confident, balanced young people who are outward‑looking and rooted in local tradition. The campus combines modern and traditional facilities. Recent extensions (completed in 2008) added a new classroom, a learning‑support room and an office, while a purpose‑built car park was finished in 2009. The school benefits from a spacious playground, a dedicated school garden, a well‑stocked library and a range of specialist spaces that support a broad extracurricular programme. Activities on offer include accelerated reading, a Green Schools initiative, biodiversity projects, climate action, aquatics, basketball, football, gymnastics, hurling, martial arts, dance, folk‑culture events and various educational visits, providing pupils with ample opportunities for physical development and cultural enrichment. Overall, Doolin National School aims to provide a caring, secure environment where every child can thrive academically and personally, working in partnership with parents, the board of management and the wider community.
History
Doolin National School was constructed in 1946 by Burkes of Galway and opened in 1947 under the guidance of Canon Lydon. The original building was modest, with a flat roof, no electricity, running water or central heating, and external toilet facilities. In 2008 the school received funding for additional accommodation, resulting in a new classroom, a learning‑support room and an office completed by Christmas that year. The following year, the Board of Management acquired adjacent land and, with Department of Education funding, built a car park, addressing the previous lack of parking. The predecessor school, situated next to the current site, dated from the 1860s and was built by the McNamara family. It was a two‑storey stone structure with separate upstairs classrooms for boys and downstairs for girls, external toilets and turf supplied by parents for heating. In 1947, pupils and staff transferred to the new school, which initially accommodated around 110‑115 children.
Applying to Doolin Mixed 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.
School-published admissions links
These links come from the school's published admissions material. Check the school year shown before relying on dates or place numbers.
National term dates 2026/27
View Doolin Mixed National School's own calendar (2026/2027 school year)
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide primary school dates apply broadly to Doolin Mixed National School. The school publishes its own calendar, linked above, and that is the authoritative source for its reopening date and discretionary closure days.
- 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 Doolin Mixed National School
How many pupils attend Doolin Mixed National School?
Doolin Mixed National School has 93 pupils enrolled, 39 girls and 54 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Doolin Mixed National School a DEIS school?
No. Doolin Mixed 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 Doolin Mixed National School?
Doolin Mixed National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.