St Patrick's Boys' National School
Skibbereen, Cork
Key facts
- Boys
- Pupils enrolled
- 204 larger than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 2 girls, 202 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 20477Q the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
About
St Patrick’s Boys’ National School is a mixed‑age primary school situated in Gortnaclohy, Skibbereen, County Cork. The school caters for over 200 pupils from junior infants through to 6th class, offering eight mainstream classrooms alongside three dedicated Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes – an Early Intervention, Junior and Senior class – that serve children from across West Cork. The curriculum blends the Irish national programme with a strong emphasis on holistic development, integrating academic learning with sport, music, and community‑based activities. The school’s facilities support a broad range of extracurricular pursuits: partnerships with local clubs provide hurling, football, basketball, rowing, rugby and golf coaching, while regular swimming lessons are held in Dunmanway. A recently developed sensory garden, featuring a geodome, living willow dome and raised beds for each class, underpins the school’s commitment to environmental education and biodiversity, having earned multiple Green School flags. Recent investment through the NextGeneration EU programme has equipped every classroom with interactive screens and supplied tablets and laptops to ensure digital equity for all learners.
History
St Patrick’s Boys’ National School was founded in 1931 on Market Street, originally operating as separate junior and senior schools in two buildings. In 1971 the school relocated to its present site in Gortnaclohy, retaining the split structure until 2015 when the junior and senior sections amalgamated to form the current St Patrick’s B.N.S. The school introduced its first autism class in 2001 and has since expanded to three ASD classes, reflecting a long‑standing commitment to inclusive education.
Applying to St Patrick's Boys' 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 St Patrick's Boys' 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 St Patrick's Boys' National School
How many pupils attend St Patrick's Boys' National School?
St Patrick's Boys' National School has 204 pupils enrolled, 2 girls and 202 boys. That makes it larger than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is St Patrick's Boys' National School a DEIS school?
No. St Patrick's Boys' 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 Patrick's Boys' National School?
St Patrick's Boys' National School has a Catholic ethos. It is a boys' primary school.