Scoil O Curain B
Scoil O Curain B is a primary school in Limerick. 251 pupils, Catholic ethos, 5 special classes, DEIS Urban Band 1.
The facts
| Type | Primary school |
|---|---|
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ethos | Catholic |
| Patron | Bishop of Limerick |
| Fees | Free |
| Enrolment | 251 (238 boys, 13 girls) 2025/26 |
| Language of instruction | English Medium School |
| DEIS | Yes — Urban Band 1 |
| Roll number | 17951B |
| Eircode | V42X343 |
| Address | Gortboy, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick |
Getting in
Not oversubscribed last year. The notice carries no previous-year breakdown, which is only required of a school that had more applicants than places.
| Places in the coming year | 32 |
|---|---|
| Applications open | 06 October 2025 |
| Applications close | 14 November 2025 |
notice gives places only, no previous-year breakdown.
Read the school's Annual Admission Notice ↗ (2026/27)
Ireland has no catchment areas. A place depends on the school's own oversubscription criteria — siblings, feeder school, parish, distance, date of application — not on where you live. Read the admissions policy for those.
What DEIS means here
DEIS Urban Band 1. This is the most intensively supported band. Junior classes are capped at 17:1, vertical schools at 19:1 and senior schools at 21:1 — smaller than almost any non-DEIS school in the country.
17:1 junior class size cap. Urban Band 1 primary schools have the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in Ireland: 17:1 in junior classes (infants to 2nd), 19:1 in vertical schools, and 21:1 in senior schools. That is smaller than almost any fee-paying school in the State.
Added to DEIS in the 2022 expansion, so its supports are relatively recent.
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.
Band as published in the Department's DEIS list, last revised 2022-10-12.
Special classes
5 special classes sanctioned for 26/27:
- 3 × Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorders
- 1 × Specific Speech and Language Disorder
- 1 × Mild General Learning Disability
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: Newcastlewest. 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 V42 (Newcastle West) was €257,500 in 2025. That is up 66.7% since 2020. CSO figures for the whole district, not the streets beside the school.
Area profile: the Pobal HP Deprivation Index rates Newcastle Urban at -5.89 (Marginally Below Average), where 0 is the national average. 30% of adults there hold a third-level qualification.
Contact
| Principal | Laura Horgan |
|---|---|
| Phone | 06962638 |
| info@courtenayschool.ie | |
| Local authority | Limerick County Council |
Other schools in Newcastlewest
- Carrickerry N S Primary school, Limerick
- Desmond College Secondary school, Limerick
- Gaelscoil O Doghair Primary school, Limerick
- Kilmeedy N S Primary school, Limerick
- Mahoonagh N S Primary school, Limerick
- Monagea National School Primary school, Limerick
- S N Cill Lachtain Primary school, Limerick
- S N Molua B Primary school, Limerick
- Scoil Ide Naofa Primary school, Limerick
- Scoil Mhuire Primary school, Limerick
- Scoil Mhuire & Íde Secondary school, Limerick
- St Josephs Convent Primary school, Limerick
How we know
DoE Schools GIS 2026 (CC BY 4.0) — checked 2026-08-27.