SCOIL IOSA
School Details
About
Scoil Íosa Ballyhaunis is a co‑educational mainstream primary school serving children aged 4‑13 years. The school was created through the amalgamation of St Joseph’s Convent of Mercy Primary School and St Mary’s Boys National School and now operates from a single, renovated Abbeyquarter campus opened on 28 August 2012. With an enrolment of 331 pupils, the school employs twenty full‑time teachers and four special‑needs assistants, and shares part‑time hours with neighbouring Logboy NS and Carraig NS, fostering a collaborative community across the locality. The school places a strong emphasis on inclusive education, welcoming children from over twenty nationalities and providing dedicated support for pupils with additional needs. Modern facilities include spacious classrooms, specialist learning areas and a well‑equipped assembly hall, all designed to support a balanced curriculum that blends academic learning with cultural and social development. Daily routines are clearly structured, with doors opening at 8:50 am, classes commencing at 9:15 am, and staggered finish times for junior and senior pupils, ensuring a safe and organised environment for all learners.
History
The origins of primary education in Ballyhaunis date back to 1820 when a town school was erected by public subscription, with Patrick Crane as its first teacher. Subsequent developments saw the school move to a thatched house in Knox Street in 1832 and later to a purpose‑built National School opposite the Friary cemetery in 1865. A new school building in Abbeyquarter was opened on 12 April 1880, followed by the construction of a teachers’ residence in 1887. In recent times, the two historic schools – St Joseph’s Convent of Mercy and St Mary’s Boys National School – merged, operating on two sites until the consolidated Abbeyquarter campus was inaugurated in 2012, creating a unified educational centre for the community.