Firies Mxd National School
School Details
Location
About
Firies National School is a mixed Catholic primary school situated in the village of Firies, County Kerry. Set on a 2.57‑acre site off the N591, the school benefits from extensive outdoor play areas and a dedicated school garden where pupils explore native woodland species and grow vegetables. The teaching team comprises 19 teachers supported by eight special‑needs assistants, providing a low‑student‑to‑staff ratio that underpins a broad and balanced curriculum across all core subjects and a wide range of extra‑curricular programmes, including football, basketball, tag rugby, gymnastics, aquatics, mountaineering, set dancing, hurling, cycling, Olympic handball, quizzes and music/choir. The school embraces a strong ethos of environmental stewardship and health promotion, holding both the Green School and Health‑Promoting School designations. It has been recognised with a GAA 5‑Star Flag (2019), an Active School Flag (2021), Awards of Excellence in Science and Maths, a STEM Cluster, an Art and Animation Cluster, and the Digital Schools Award for Excellence (2019). Participation in the Department of Education’s Next Generation EU‑funded project has delivered high‑speed broadband, enhancing digital learning opportunities. Parental involvement is central to school life, with an active Parents’ Association and a variety of after‑school clubs such as Brickx, Taekwondo, football, hurling and Irish dancing, fostering a vibrant, community‑focused environment for the 273 enrolled pupils.
History
Firies National School opened in 1991 on its current 2.57‑acre rural site in Firies, midway between Killarney, Tralee, Castleisland and Killorglin. Since its inception the school has grown to a 19‑teacher institution with a strong emphasis on both academic and extracurricular excellence. Notable milestones include achieving the GAA 5‑Star Flag in 2019, receiving the first Active School Flag in 2021, being awarded the Digital Schools Flag for Excellence in 2019, and securing the ‘Digital Schools Award for Excellence’ as part of the county’s early adopters. In late 2021 the school was selected for a Department of Education project funded by the EU’s Next Generation EU programme, which provided high‑speed broadband connectivity.