Kealkil National School
Cork
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 189 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 87 girls, 102 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 16087E the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Kealkill National School is a co‑educational Catholic primary school serving children aged five to twelve in West Cork. The school prioritises a happy, safe and inclusive environment where pupils can develop intellectually, spiritually, physically, morally and culturally. A balanced programme blends the core curriculum with a wide range of creative and sporting activities, including art, drama and swimming lessons, fostering both academic achievement and personal confidence. Modern facilities support this holistic approach: well‑equipped classrooms, a resource room with a library, and a recently upgraded playground that combines tarmac‑adamant surfaces with grass pitches for outdoor play. The school’s ethos encourages friendship, collaboration and the development of social skills, ensuring each child can reach their full potential in a caring and well‑ordered setting.
History
Kealkill National School was constructed in 1909 by Murphy’s Builders Contractors and formally opened on 10 April 1910. It replaced an earlier school situated across the road, which later served as a community hall before being demolished in the 1930s. The original building comprised two large classrooms heated by fireplaces, with external dry toilets and a coal shed. Early years saw high enrolments of over 100 pupils, but numbers fell in the 1930s, prompting repairs such as plastering of stone walls. Electrification arrived in the village in 1957, though the school did not adopt it immediately. In 1965, the nearby Maughanaclea National School closed and its pupils transferred to Kealkill, establishing a bus service that continues today. The inaugural Board of Management met on 28 October 1975, leading to playground improvements in 1978, the addition of a prefab classroom in the early 1980s, and the installation of indoor toilets and new windows in 1989. A major extension, including a mainstream classroom and a library resource room, was approved in 1998 and subsequently built.
Applying to Kealkil 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 Kealkil 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 Kealkil National School
How many pupils attend Kealkil National School?
Kealkil National School has 189 pupils enrolled, 87 girls and 102 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Kealkil National School a DEIS school?
No. Kealkil 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 Kealkil National School?
Kealkil National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.