Curranes National School
School Details
Location
About
Curranes National School is a mainstream, co‑educational primary school situated in a rural setting just five minutes from Castleisland, County Kerry. The school’s ethos centres on creating a happy and healthy environment where pupils, families and the Board of Management work in harmony. Its curriculum is designed to develop academic achievement alongside emotional, social and moral growth, fostering Christian values, self‑esteem, life‑skills and a sense of community responsibility. The campus offers bright, cheerful classrooms, a dedicated computer room and a purpose‑built hall. Pupils benefit from a secure indoor play area and well‑maintained outdoor play spaces, including recent extensions completed in 2022 that added modern teaching facilities. In addition to the primary programme, the school provides a HSE‑registered “Happy Days” preschool (opened 2009) and an after‑school service that delivers ECCE and CCS childcare funding programmes, supporting families throughout the day.
History
The original Curranes National School (Scoil na gCoireán / gCorrán) operated from 1869 to 1965 in a stone‑built two‑classroom building across from the present site. Scoil Íde opened in December 1965 as a two‑room, two‑teacher school. Expansion continued: a third teacher was added in 1984, a temporary classroom created from a cloakroom, and a prefabricated classroom installed in 1988 after negotiations with the Department of Education. A major extension and refurbishment took place in 2004‑2005. In September 2019 the school became a four‑teacher school with 85 pupils; enrolment rose to 87 by December 2021. Work on a new extension began in August 2021, with the additional classroom becoming operational in September 2022. The “Happy Days” preschool was launched in 2009.