Glenflesk National School
Killarney, Kerry
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 35 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 16 girls, 19 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 09302O the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Glenflesk National School is a modern, rural, co‑educational primary school situated about 10 km from Killarney, off the N22 (Eircode V93 PX30). Operating under the patronage of the Bishop of Kerry, the school provides a supportive environment for children from Junior Infants through Senior Infants, with a structured day that begins at 9.20 am, includes a mid‑morning break (11.00‑11.20 am) and a short lunch period (1.00‑1.20 pm), and finishes for the younger classes at 2.00 pm, with the whole school closing at 3.00 pm. The school’s educational approach is inclusive and holistic, offering mainstream teaching alongside dedicated support for special educational needs (a Special Education Teacher four days a week) and English as an Additional Language (an EAL teacher two days a week). Two full‑time Special Needs Assistants, a caretaker and a secretary further enhance the learning environment. Glenflesk also serves as the base school for principal release days, supporting five neighbouring schools, and hosts community activities such as CCÉ music and set‑dancing classes in the local GAA hall. The school’s vision emphasises mutual trust, equity and integrity, seeking to nurture the creative, cultural, emotional, intellectual, physical, social and spiritual development of each child so that they may reach their full potential within a caring, belonging community.
History
A pay school operated at Rusheenbeg, on the site where Pat Favier's house now stands. Florence Scannell taught there around 1829, with his wife Anne Scannell as assistant; the roll stood at 144 pupils in 1834 and had fallen to 108 by 1843. Johnny Favier taught at the Rusheenbeg school until 1866, when he became first Principal of the present school at Curraglass, and continued teaching there until 1892. Pat O Sullivan then became principal, with his wife Maggie O Sullivan as assistant; she stood down on the 30th of September 1934. Denis Spillane, appointed on 1st October, 1927, retired on the 30th June 1973. John O Donoghue took over as principal on the 27th of August 1973. A third teacher was appointed in 1983, and John O Donoghue retired in 2011.
Applying to Glenflesk 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 Glenflesk 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 Glenflesk 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 Glenflesk National School
How many pupils attend Glenflesk National School?
Glenflesk National School has 35 pupils enrolled, 16 girls and 19 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Glenflesk National School a DEIS school?
No. Glenflesk 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 Glenflesk National School?
Glenflesk National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.