Mount Pleasant National School
Claremorris, Mayo
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 87 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 40 girls, 47 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 13500R the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Mountpleasant National School is a co-educational Catholic primary school in the village of Ballyglass, Co. Mayo, situated roughly 10 miles from Castlebar, 9 miles from Claremorris and 8 miles from Ballinrobe. The current school building was constructed in 1986. It has four mainstream classrooms, a General Purpose Room, and an extension containing two SET rooms that was completed recently. Ballyglass Community Childcare, located at the rear of the school grounds, provides care for babies, toddlers, playschool and preschool children, as well as breakfast club and afterschool services. The school day runs from 9:10 a.m., with Junior and Senior Infants finishing at 1:50 p.m. and all other classes at 2:50 p.m.
History
The old school was built in 1888 and opened in 1889 as a two-teacher school, segregated into a boys' and a girls' school. It replaced a one-roomed thatched school called Rosslee N.S. near the same site. The playground was divided by a high wall to keep boys and girls apart at playtime. In the 1930s or 1940s the boys' and girls' schools were amalgamated, making Mountpleasant N.S. a united school. In 1970, the manager at the time, Fr. Michael Keane, negotiated a renovation of the school; during this period parents withdrew their children in protest to have the playground tarmacked. Ceilings were lowered, floors replaced, central heating installed, and hand basins and outside flush toilets were built. After years of agitation over the deteriorating prefabricated classroom and rat infestation, the Department of Education approved a new school, which was built in 1986.
Applying to Mount Pleasant 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 Mount Pleasant 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 Mount Pleasant National School
How many pupils attend Mount Pleasant National School?
Mount Pleasant National School has 87 pupils enrolled, 40 girls and 47 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Mount Pleasant National School a DEIS school?
No. Mount Pleasant 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 Mount Pleasant National School?
Mount Pleasant National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.