Geashill National School
Offaly
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 126 about the same size as the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 61 girls, 65 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 09191I the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Scoil Na Croise Naofa (Geashill National School) is a co‑educational, Catholic primary school that welcomes children of all faiths. The school’s ethos is centred on providing a well‑ordered, caring and secure environment where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of pupils are identified and nurtured. A strong emphasis is placed on respect for people and property, the promotion of the Irish language, gender equity and the active involvement of parents through the Parents’ Council and home‑school communication. The campus combines historic and modern facilities. The original three‑room building opened in 1970 and has been expanded with a purpose room, office, storerooms, toilets and a tarmacadam basketball court (added in 1983), plus a four‑classroom extension completed in 2016. The adjacent Geashill Heritage and Community Centre, the former 1862 limestone school, serves the wider community and reflects the school’s deep local roots. Extra‑curricular initiatives such as Green School projects, seasonal performances and community fundraising events enrich the pupils’ experience and reinforce the school’s commitment to holistic development.
History
A school has stood on the Geashill site since 1862 when Lord Digby built a limestone National School for the village children. The original building now operates as the Geashill Heritage and Community Centre. The present Scoil Na Croise Naofa opened in 1970, replacing the old school and Raheen School, and was initially a three‑room facility. Extensions were added in 1983 (purpose room, office, storerooms, toilets and a basketball court) and a further four‑classroom wing was completed in 2016. The school’s name derives from the nearby Priory of the Holy Cross, an Augustinian monastery dissolved in the 1540s. In 2012 the school marked its 150th anniversary, celebrating its long‑standing role in the community and burying a time capsule to be opened in 2062.
Applying to Geashill 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
View Geashill 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 Geashill 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 Geashill National School
How many pupils attend Geashill National School?
Geashill National School has 126 pupils enrolled, 61 girls and 65 boys. That makes it about the same size as the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Geashill National School a DEIS school?
No. Geashill 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 Geashill National School?
Geashill National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.