Clara Convent N.S.
Kilbeggan Road, Clara, Co. Offaly · R35 WP04 · Roll number 13118U
Clara Convent N.S. is one of 2 primary schools in or within 3 km of Clara. Every school in and around Clara →
What stands out about Clara Convent N.S.
- 180 pupils, near the middle for primary schools in Ireland (the median is 131).
- Teaches through English, with Irish as a subject.
- Smaller than it was: 180 pupils, 17% fewer than the 217 of 2019/20.
- In DEIS. DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) gives schools serving disadvantaged areas more teachers, money and support; the Department decides which schools are in it.
- A girls’ school.
- Has special classes for children who need more support.
- Its patron is the Bishop of Meath; its ethos is Catholic.
Pupils over time
2015/16 to 2025/26Clara Convent N.S. had 180 pupils in 2025/26, down from 188 in 2015/16 (−4%). Its largest roll was 217, in 2019/20. Its roll rose in 5 of the 10 years.
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September each year; girls and boys where the lists give them.
No letter for Clara Convent N.S.
Ireland publishes no exam results school by school, and section 53 of the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing schools by them, so this school has no letter and nothing here ranks it. Its facts are the Department of Education’s; its inspection reports are linked below.
What the Department of Education does publish for Clara Convent N.S. is on this page: its pupils each September since 2015/16, girls and boys, its patron and ethos, whether it teaches through Irish, whether it is in DEIS, and its inspection reports.
Newspapers print lists of how many of a school’s leavers go on to college. Those count destinations, not exam results, and depend on who a school takes in; we don’t use them.
Inspection reports on Clara Convent N.S.
The Department of Education’s Inspectorate visits schools and publishes its reports. The reports describe what inspectors saw; they give no overall grade, and we don’t make one. Reports for this school on gov.ie ↗
Inspectors visit every kind of school. Whole-school evaluations look at teaching and learning, leadership and management; subject inspections look at one subject; follow-through inspections check whether earlier advice was taken. Each report is published on gov.ie with the school’s response.
Getting a place at Clara Convent N.S.
Every school admits under its own published admission policy; no admissions numbers are published.
Families apply to Clara Convent N.S. directly. Children can start once they are four and must be in school by six; the school’s yearly admission notice gives the dates for applying and for its decisions.
A school with more applicants than places admits on the criteria in its admission policy, often brothers and sisters, the area it serves and, for post-primary schools, its feeder primaries. A family refused a place can appeal.
It takes girls only. It is in DEIS, so it has extra support for pupils from disadvantaged areas. Places in special classes and special schools are allocated with the National Council for Special Education.
No figures on applications are published, but the roll shows demand: Clara Convent N.S. has shrunk by 17% since 2019/20. All the schools around Clara together changed by −5%.
Pupils since 2019/20
Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018; Department of Education enrolments 2019/20 and 2025/26 (preliminary).
Side by side with the nearest primary schools
2025/26The nearest schools of the same kind, as the crow flies: their pupils, ethos and language. No results: none are published.
Of the 6 nearest primary schools, 3 have more pupils than Clara Convent N.S.. Since 2019/20 its roll has changed by −17%; 4 of the 6 grew faster.
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Convent N.S. | 180 | −17% | Catholic | English | ✓ | |
| S.N. Phroinsiais Naofa | 186 | −14% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 0.3 km |
| S.N. Mhanachain | 176 | +5% | Catholic | English | 5.6 km | |
| S.N. Peadar agus Pol | 15 | −52% | Catholic | English | 5.9 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Cholumchille | 197 | −8% | Catholic | English | 6.4 km | |
| Ballykilmurry N.S. | 199 | −6% | Catholic | English | 6.7 km | |
| S N Chartaigh Naofa | 147 | −21% | Catholic | English | 6.8 km |
The other 60 primary schools in Co. Offaly
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Ciarans Mixed N.S. | 110 | −12% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 8.4 km |
| Tullamore Educate Together NS | 236 | +7% | Multi-denominational | English | 8.7 km | |
| Arden Boys N.S. | 215 | +4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 9.9 km |
| St. Joseph's N.S. | 360 | −12% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 9.9 km |
| S.N. Muire Naofa | 64 | −27% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 10 km |
| S.N. Naomh Brighde Buach | 116 | −32% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 10 km |
| S.N. Naomh Philomena | 164 | −7% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 10 km |
| Scoil Mhuire | 249 | −20% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 10 km |
| Scoil Colmain Naofa | 322 | +5% | Catholic | English | 11 km | |
| Charleville N.S. | 173 | +92% | Church of Ireland | English | 11 km | |
| Gaelscoil an Eiscir Riada | 185 | −11% | Catholic | All in Irish | 12 km | |
| S.N. Mhuire | 72 | +6% | Catholic | English | 12 km | |
| S.N. Seosamh | 97 | +31% | Catholic | English | 13 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Callin | 69 | −9% | Catholic | English | 14 km | |
| St Colmans N.S. | 97 | −14% | Catholic | English | 16 km | |
| Mount Bolus N.S. | 25 | −29% | Catholic | English | 17 km | |
| St. Cynoc's National School | 189 | −4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 17 km |
| Shinchill N.S. | 286 | +3% | Catholic | English | 17 km | |
| S.N. Lomchluana | 33 | −23% | Catholic | English | 19 km | |
| S.N. Sheosaimh Naofa | 193 | +7% | Catholic | English | 19 km | |
| S.N. Bhride | 111 | +14% | Catholic | English | 20 km | |
| S.N. Chiarain Naofa | 29 | – | Catholic | English | 20 km | |
| Scoil Mhuire Agus Chormaic | 109 | +5% | Catholic | Some subjects in Irish | ✓ | 20 km |
| Daingean N.S. | 261 | +4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 22 km |
| Scoil Bhride | 70 | −23% | Catholic | English | 22 km | |
| Geashill 1 N.S. | 126 | −2% | Catholic | English | 22 km | |
| St Marys National School | 93 | −4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 23 km |
| High St Mixed N.S. | 73 | +14% | Catholic | English | 23 km | |
| Clonaghadoo N.S. | 81 | −24% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| S.N. Chiarain Naofa | 83 | +17% | Catholic | English | 26 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Eoin | 148 | +23% | Catholic | English | 26 km | |
| S.N. Mhuire Naofa | 91 | −40% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 27 km |
| S.N. Mhuire | 124 | −8% | Catholic | English | 28 km | |
| Ceann Eitigh N.S. | 132 | +15% | Catholic | English | 28 km | |
| Naomh Mhuire N.S. | 83 | −6% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 28 km |
| Cloneyhurke N.S. | 18 | −40% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| S.N. Phadraig | 124 | −2% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| St Rynaghs N.S. | 249 | +1% | Catholic | English | 31 km | |
| Castlejordan Central N.S. | 79 | −7% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 33 km |
| Seir Kierans N.S. | 71 | +20% | Catholic | English | 33 km | |
| Gaelscoil na Laochra | 45 | +29% | Multi-denominational | All in Irish | 33 km | |
| St Cronans Mixed N.S. | 72 | +13% | Catholic | English | 33 km | |
| S.N. Osmann | 86 | +4% | Church of Ireland | English | ✓ | 34 km |
| Mercy Primary School | 141 | −2% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 34 km |
| St Brendans Monastery | 178 | −8% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 35 km |
| Croinchoill N.S. | 243 | +1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 35 km |
| Scoil Bhríde Primary School | 480 | −24% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 35 km |
| Gaelscoil Éadan Doire | 69 | −32% | Catholic | All in Irish | ✓ | 35 km |
| Edenderry 2 N.S. | 48 | −27% | Church of Ireland | English | 35 km | |
| Clonbullogue N.S. | 84 | −9% | Catholic | English | 36 km | |
| St Patrick's National School | 192 | −13% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 36 km |
| Edenderry Convent N.S. | 429 | +12% | Catholic | English | 36 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Brogain | 72 | −14% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 37 km |
| S.N. Ros Com Rua | 21 | −28% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Coolderry Central N.S. | 82 | −10% | Catholic | English | 40 km | |
| S.N. Cronain Naofa | 171 | −21% | Catholic | English | 44 km | |
| Shinrone Mixed N.S. | 121 | +1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 45 km |
| S.N. Caoimhin Naofa | 67 | −17% | Catholic | English | 48 km | |
| S.N. Mhuire Bainrioghan | 76 | +23% | Catholic | English | 52 km | |
| S.N. Seosamh | 108 | +29% | Catholic | English | 56 km |
Living in Clara
The town’s figures, not this street’s.
Homes in the R35 Eircode area
Housing in Clara →The median sale price rose from €254,200 in 2023 to €287,500 in 2025 (+13%).
New against second-hand, 2023 to 2025
Property Price Register sales in the R35 Eircode routing area, 2023 to 2025.
Renting in Clara
Cost of living in Clara →New tenancies in Clara averaged €1,104 a month in 2025, against €999 in 2024 (+11%).
Residential Tenancies Board rent index, new tenancies, 2024 and 2025.
Location
Directions ↗Clara, R35 WP04
Primary schools near Clara Convent N.S.
Nearest first, as the crow flies, up to 25 km. Each school’s own admission policy decides who gets a place.
Questions about Clara Convent N.S.
Is Clara Convent N.S. a good school?
We don’t grade it: Ireland publishes no exam results school by school, and section 53 of the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them. Its inspection reports on gov.ie, a visit and a talk with the principal will tell you more than any table could.
How many pupils does Clara Convent N.S. have?
180 pupils in 2025/26. That is −17% since 2019/20.
Does Clara Convent N.S. teach through Irish?
No: Clara Convent N.S. teaches in English, with Irish as a subject.
Who runs Clara Convent N.S.?
Clara Convent N.S. has a Catholic ethos. Its patron is Bishop of Meath.
How do pupils get a place at Clara Convent N.S.?
Apply to the school directly. It publishes an admission policy and a yearly admission notice with its dates; if more children apply than it has places, it admits on the criteria in its policy.
Which schools of the same kind are near Clara Convent N.S.?
The nearest are S.N. Phroinsiais Naofa (0.3 km), S.N. Mhanachain (5.6 km) and S.N. Peadar agus Pol (5.9 km).
Sources: Department of Education, school lists 2025/26 (preliminary) and enrolments since 2015/16, CC BY 4.0 · inspection reports on gov.ie, linked by roll number. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Facts from the Department of Education’s school lists. Listed with Clara; nothing here rates the school.
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).