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Principal's Welcome

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

On behalf of our whole school community, we would like to extend a warm welcome to you and your child. Our hope is that while your child is with us, that he/she will develop into a mature, happy, responsible young adult who is prepared to face the future with confidence. The school acknowledges that parent(s)/guardian(s) are the primary educators; as a professional body of teachers, the staff of Firies N.S. work in co-operation with the child and the home to help each individual pupil to reach his/her potential. The school aims at promoting the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the pupil. We foster a love of learning, working hard and developing a sense of respect and responsibility among our pupils. We wish to see balanced, well-rounded, self-confident, mannerly and co-operative pupils. All we strive to achieve is carried out under the guidance of a Catholic ethos. A concern for those less fortunate than ourselves is promoted within the school. Respect for each individual within the school community is also a core value within Firies N.S. One of our core beliefs about academic success is that hard work, determination and consistent effort are key elements in achieving success; all of the above is only possible within a firm but fair code of discipline.
We are proud of our students and no doubt your child will make a significant contribution to Firies N.S.

‘Dána gan bheith droch-mhúinte’
“Able to assert themselves in a mannerly way”

Le gach dea-ghuí,
Clarie Doyle
Principal

Background

Firies National School is a rural 19 teacher school with 8 special needs assistants, in the village of Firies situated midway between the hub towns of Killarney (14.5Km), Tralee (16km), Castleisland (16km) and Killorglin (13km).

Located on the N591 the school was opened in 1991 and is situated on a site of 2.57 acres, offering extensive playground space.

Firies National School offers a broad and balanced curriculum as well as many extra-curricular activities including Football, Basketball, Soccer, Tag Rugby, Gymnastics, Aquatics, Athletics, Mountaineering, Set Dancing, Hurling, Cycling, Olympic Handball, Quizzes and Music/Choir.

Our students have taken part in many events both in and out of school and we have always been proud of their behaviour, attitude and level of positive participation.

We are a ‘Green School’ and a ‘Health Promoting School’. We were delighted to achieve our ‘GAA Flag’ in 2019 and our first 'Active School Flag' in 2021. 

We have achieved ‘Awards of Excellence’ in Science and Maths. We currently have both a STEM Cluster and an Art and Animation Cluster within the school.

In 2019 we were amongst the first in the county to be awarded the ‘Digital Schools Award for Excellence’ Digital Flag.

Our school garden provides opportunities for children to learn about native woodland species as well as grow their own vegetables.

Parental involvement is important in our school. We have a very active Parents’ Association that is involved in the day to day life of our school.

There are Pre-schools and After Schools services located adjacent to our building which offer collection from school. Furthermore, there are a variety of after school clubs that children can access. These include Brickx Club, Taekwondo, Football, Hurling and Irish Dancing to mention a few.

Aims

  • That they become good citizens, well mannered, kind, and respectful.
  • That they will be literate, numerate and have knowledge of all the curricular areas.
  • That they will have confidence, self-esteem and good social skills.
  • That they reach their full potential in all areas, academic and non-academic.
  • That they have developed as independent learners and are ready for a world where lifelong learning is the norm.
  • That they develop an appreciation of the local community, local environment and become environmentally aware.
  • That they have a love of learning.
  • That they develop as contented adults.
  • That they will have benefited from extra-curricular activities and influences and will have developed an ability to work as part of a team in co-operation with others.
  • That they will have a love of the Irish language and appreciate the Irish culture of traditional music, verse, poetry, song and dance.
  • That they will have sampled all aspects of their local culture and taught to appreciate and respect other cultures.
  • That they will have developed an appreciation of the good things in life and have a sense of fun.
  • That on leaving primary school we could look at them with pride and know that eight years in primary school was a job well done and worthwhile.

Next Generation EU Funded Project

Next Generation EU Funded Project

In late 2021, Firies N.S. was selected to be part of a Department of Education project in Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), supported by the European Union through NextGenerationEU funding under its Recovery and Resilience Facility.

This school now has high speed broadband connectivity through the Department of Education School Broadband Programme, delivered as part of the Irish National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) under the Recovery and Resilience Facility funded by the European Union through NextGenerationEU.