St. John's National School
St. John's National School is a primary school in Kilkenny. 441 pupils, Catholic ethos, 3 special classes, DEIS.
The facts
| Type | Primary school |
|---|---|
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ethos | Catholic |
| Fees | Free |
| Enrolment | 441 (208 boys, 233 girls) 2025/26 |
| Language of instruction | English Medium School |
| DEIS | Yes — the published band list does not state a band for this school |
| Roll number | 20600M |
| Eircode | R95NH66 |
| Address | Ballybough Street, Kilkenny |
What DEIS means here
A DEIS school. The Department's register records this school as being in the DEIS programme, but the published band list does not give it a band, so we do not state one.
Worth knowing: several things people associate with DEIS are now available in every school. Schoolbooks are free at primary and post-primary regardless of DEIS status, and since 2025 all primary schools are eligible for the hot school meals programme. What remains specific to DEIS is the staffing — reduced class sizes in Urban Band 1, the Home School Community Liaison coordinator, School Completion Programme access and enhanced capitation.
Special classes
3 special classes sanctioned for 26/27:
- 3 × Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Source: National Council for Special Education. Children in a special class travel under a separate transport scheme with its own rules.
The area around this school
School planning area: Kilkenny. This is how the Department plans where to build capacity. It is not a catchment.
Local house prices: the median residential sale price in Eircode district R95 (Kilkenny) was €350,000 in 2025. That is up 62.8% since 2020. CSO figures for the whole district, not the streets beside the school.
Area profile: the Pobal HP Deprivation Index rates Kilkenny No. 2 Urban at -1.37 (Marginally Below Average), where 0 is the national average. 43% of adults there hold a third-level qualification.
Contact
| Principal | Brian Roche |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0567763528 |
| principalsjk@gmail.com | |
| Local authority | Kilkenny County Council |
Other schools in Kilkenny
- Bennettsbridge National School Primary school, Kilkenny
- Church Hill Mixed N S Primary school, Kilkenny
- City Vocational School Secondary school, Kilkenny
- Coláiste Pobail Osraí Secondary school, Kilkenny
- Gaelscoil Osrai Primary school, Kilkenny
- Kilkenny College Secondary school, Kilkenny
- Kilkenny Mixed N S Primary school, Kilkenny
- Kilkenny School Project Primary school, Kilkenny
- Loreto Secondary School Secondary school, Kilkenny
- Meánscoil Na Mbráithre Criostaí Secondary school, Kilkenny
- Mother Of Fair Love Spec School Special school, Kilkenny
- Presentation Secondary School Secondary school, Kilkenny
How we know
DoE Schools GIS 2026 (CC BY 4.0) — checked 2026-08-27.