Gaelscoil de hIde
Bóthar na Gaillimhe, Roscommon
Key facts
- Irish-medium
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 149 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 83 girls, 66 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- All subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 20126K the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
Irish is the language of instruction at Gaelscoil de hÍde, and it is also the working language between teachers, pupils and the board of management. The school is a mainstream co-educational Catholic primary school at Cnoc na Crúibe on the Galway road outside Roscommon town, with roughly 149 pupils. Classes run from Naíonáin Bheaga through to Rang 6, with some year groups taught in combined classes, and there are special education teachers on the staff. The school states its aim as creating a learning setting in which each child is respected as an individual and encouraged to take part on equal terms. Pupils prepare for First Communion and Confirmation. Environmental work is part of school life through the Green Schools programme. A parents' association, affiliated to the National Parents Council Primary and elected every two years with representatives from each class, organises events including a book fair, a grandparents' day and Seachtain na Gaeilge activities, and raises funds for classroom equipment and school activities. There is a school uniform, with a tracksuit worn on sports days.
History
The school grew out of a campaign begun in 1999, when parents in the Roscommon area formed a committee to seek Irish-medium primary education locally, there being no Gaelscoil in the county at the time. With help from parents and principals at other Gaelscoileanna, the school opened on 1 September 2000 at Mote Park, with 17 pupils, most of them in Naíonáin Bheaga, one teacher and one special needs assistant. It was named after Douglas Hyde, the first president of Ireland, a Roscommon man with a strong interest in the Irish language. Enrolment rose over the following years, and in 2005 the school moved to its present site at Cnoc na Crúibe on the Galway road.
Applying to Gaelscoil de hIde
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 Gaelscoil de hIde. 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 Gaelscoil de hIde
How many pupils attend Gaelscoil de hIde?
Gaelscoil de hIde has 149 pupils enrolled, 83 girls and 66 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Gaelscoil de hIde a DEIS school?
No. Gaelscoil de hIde 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 Gaelscoil de hIde teach through Irish?
Yes. Gaelscoil de hIde teaches all subjects through Irish.