The Past
For one hundred years the local school in Clonfert was located where St Brendan’s Church now stands. A decision was made to build a new school across the road and so, St Brendan’s National School, Clonfert opened in 1952. Our school began as a two-teacher school with 73 pupils on roll.
In 1973 a third class teacher was added, but as there was no room to accommodate all classes the senior room had to move back across the road to the original building. Plans were put in place to build an extension. With the closure of Esker National School a few miles away, an extra 30 pupils arrived in Clonfert on 1st September 1977. It was now a five teacher school with an enrolment of 117.
Over the years Clonfert went from a four-teacher to a three and back to four again. In 2005, a drop in numbers signalled a return to three-teacher and this is how the school stands today.
The Present
Clonfert National School is a school that combines a caring community spirit with a progressive educational outlook.
Our classrooms are spacious and comfortable and are all fully equipped with interactive whiteboards, computers, laptops, visualizers and all of the art, maths, and language resources that could be needed. We have recently invested in Ipads which are used for projects, literacy and numeracy activities.
Now Clonfert National School, with its expansive grounds, boasts its own school pitch adjacent to the school along with a full-size basketball court. The school has its own school garden which is planted with fruit, vegetables and flowers every year and is a source of learning and enjoyment for all.