Geashill National School
School Details
Location
About
Scoil Na Croise Naofa (Geashill National School) is a co‑educational, Catholic primary school that welcomes children of all faiths. The school’s ethos is centred on providing a well‑ordered, caring and secure environment where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of pupils are identified and nurtured. A strong emphasis is placed on respect for people and property, the promotion of the Irish language, gender equity and the active involvement of parents through the Parents’ Council and home‑school communication. The campus combines historic and modern facilities. The original three‑room building opened in 1970 and has been expanded with a purpose room, office, storerooms, toilets and a tarmacadam basketball court (added in 1983), plus a four‑classroom extension completed in 2016. The adjacent Geashill Heritage and Community Centre, the former 1862 limestone school, serves the wider community and reflects the school’s deep local roots. Extra‑curricular initiatives such as Green School projects, seasonal performances and community fundraising events enrich the pupils’ experience and reinforce the school’s commitment to holistic development.
History
A school has stood on the Geashill site since 1862 when Lord Digby built a limestone National School for the village children. The original building now operates as the Geashill Heritage and Community Centre. The present Scoil Na Croise Naofa opened in 1970, replacing the old school and Raheen School, and was initially a three‑room facility. Extensions were added in 1983 (purpose room, office, storerooms, toilets and a basketball court) and a further four‑classroom wing was completed in 2016. The school’s name derives from the nearby Priory of the Holy Cross, an Augustinian monastery dissolved in the 1540s. In 2012 the school marked its 150th anniversary, celebrating its long‑standing role in the community and burying a time capsule to be opened in 2062.