Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent)
Clara, Offaly
Key facts
- DEIS
- Girls
- Pupils enrolled
- 180 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 13118U the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
Scoil Bhríde is a Catholic girls' primary school on the Kilbeggan Road in Clara, Co. Offaly, formerly known as Clara Convent. Around 180 pupils are enrolled, in classes from Junior Infants through to Sixth, and the school has DEIS status. Two Sunrise classes operate alongside the mainstream classrooms, supported by a team of special education teachers, special needs assistants and bus escorts. A home school community liaison co-ordinator works with families. Wellbeing programmes form a large part of the work, among them Roots of Empathy, run with the Tullamore School Completion Programme, along with Weaving Well-Being, Relax Kids, Friends for Life and the Alert Programme. Music Generation, literacy and numeracy initiatives, sport and STEM including VEX robotics are also part of school life. Information and communications technology is used consistently across classrooms, and the school was recognised as a Digital School in 2008 and as a Digital School of Distinction in 2014. An annual colour run raises funds and draws participants from Clara and the surrounding area.
Applying to Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent)
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 Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent). 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 Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent)
How many pupils attend Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent)?
Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent) has 180 pupils enrolled. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent) a DEIS school?
Yes. Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent) is part of DEIS, the Department of Education programme called Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools. DEIS schools serve communities at risk of educational disadvantage and receive additional supports, which can include smaller classes, extra teaching posts and funding for books and meals.
What is the ethos of Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent)?
Scoil Bhríde (Formerly Clara Convent) has a Catholic ethos. It is a girls' primary school.