St Olivers National School
Killarney, Kerry
Key facts
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 625 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 296 girls, 329 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 19512I the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St. Oliver’s National School is a co‑educational, full‑stream primary school situated in Killarney, Co. Kerry. Rooted in a Catholic ethos, the school strives to be a happy, safe environment where effective teaching and active learning are central to everyday life. With a roll of over 640 pupils, the school operates 24 mainstream classes supported by a robust team of teaching staff, classroom assistants and specialist personnel, including a resource teacher for Travellers and a full‑time caretaker. The school places a strong emphasis on inclusive education, offering a wide range of specialised provisions such as classes for mild learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia and reading challenges), autism spectrum disorder, and multiple disabilities. These supports are integrated within the mainstream setting, enriching the learning experience for all pupils. Facilities include an outdoor classroom, a dedicated occupational therapy room, and well‑equipped spaces for physical education in the Halla. Extra‑curricular programmes such as the Changemaker initiative, Active School projects, swimming lessons, an infant club, and a student council further promote leadership, creativity, teamwork and wellbeing.
History
St. Oliver’s National School was constructed in 1977 and opened its doors to pupils on 1 September 1977 with nine teachers and 250 pupils. The school was led by its first principal, Mr Brendan Walshe, from its opening until October 2002, after which Mr Rory D’Arcy assumed the role. A long tradition of special‑education provision began with a class for mild learning difficulty in 1992, followed by language difficulty support in 1994, a dyslexia class in 1999, an occupational therapy room in 2006, two multiple‑disability classes in 2017 and an ASD class in 2018. In January 2008 the school celebrated its 30th anniversary with a visit from President Mary Mc Aleese. Recognised for its innovative ethos, St. Oliver’s was selected as one of five Changemaker Schools in Ireland by the Ashoka Social Entrepreneur Organisation in 2014. As of October 2020 the school served 652 pupils, staffed by 62 teachers and 24 classroom assistants.
Applying to St Olivers 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 St Olivers 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 St Olivers 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 St Olivers National School
How many pupils attend St Olivers National School?
St Olivers National School has 625 pupils enrolled, 296 girls and 329 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is St Olivers National School a DEIS school?
No. St Olivers 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 St Olivers National School?
St Olivers National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.