Ardagh National School
School Details
Location
About
St. Molua’s National School is a small, co‑educational Catholic primary school serving the village of Ardagh in West Limerick. With an enrolment of around 84 pupils, the school provides a structured, caring and secure environment that nurtures intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural development. The curriculum is complemented by a strong emphasis on digital literacy through the use of G Suite and Google Classroom, allowing pupils to collaborate on projects and develop essential ICT skills. The school benefits from a range of facilities and extracurricular programmes. A community playing field, donated by John T. Langford, supports outdoor activities, while partnerships with local organisations enable swimming lessons at Askeaton Leisure Centre and regular coaching for Gaelic games and soccer. Creative and scientific pursuits are encouraged through weekly tin‑whistle tuition, a Discover Primary Science programme that focuses on STEM, and a literacy initiative. These opportunities aim to build confidence, teamwork and a love of learning beyond the classroom.
History
The present school is the fourth National School in Ardagh. The first, dating from the 1830s, stood at Ardvone and was later replaced by a Garda barracks. A second school operated opposite Drews, with a possible private school at Danaher’s Stables. The third school, built in 1894 at Ministerland, closed in 1964 and now serves as Ardagh’s Community Hall. The current school opened in 1964 on land and a playing field donated by John T. Langford, initially comprising five classrooms, a staff room, an office and separate shelters for boys and girls. In 1969 it amalgamated with Ballyloughane NS, adding three classrooms, and until 1972 functioned as separate boys’ and girls’ schools each with its own principal.