St Patricks Special School
Kilkenny
Key facts
- Special school
- Mixed
- Pupils enrolled
- 91 smaller than the median Irish primary school (123 pupils)
- Girls and boys
- 21 girls, 70 boys
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects through Irish
- Roll number
- 19383A the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
St Patrick's School is a Catholic primary school on the Kells Road in Kilkenny, providing education for children with special needs. Enrolment is 91 pupils. The school describes itself as educating children with special needs. Activities include a Lámh Choir, which performed in April 2026 to raise funds for a new kit for the Senior Football Team. The school celebrated World Down Syndrome Day in March 2026 by wearing odd socks and raised €186 for the Kilkenny Branch. Students won the category Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking Comedy at the FIS Film Awards in February 2026. Catholic Schools Week was marked in January 2026, with a Grandparents Day on 22nd January.
History
A residential school for pupils with a moderate learning disability opened in 1966, with three classrooms made available in the main building of St. Patrick's Centre. Two more rooms were later added to accommodate increasing numbers. In 1974, a new school building became available with 7 classrooms, a homecraft room for self-help training skills, a general purpose room, a small kitchenette, a staff room, a principal's office, a medical/assessment/speech therapy room, two shower/changing rooms, and staff and pupil toilet areas. In 1986, a special class for residential pupils with a severe or profound degree of learning disability was set up within the existing school building, with a second class added in September 1995.
Applying to St Patricks Special 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 Patricks Special 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 Patricks Special School
How many pupils attend St Patricks Special School?
St Patricks Special School has 91 pupils enrolled, 21 girls and 70 boys. That makes it smaller than the median Irish primary school, which has 123 pupils.
Is St Patricks Special School a DEIS school?
No. St Patricks Special 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 Patricks Special School?
St Patricks Special School has a Catholic ethos. It is a mixed primary school.