Calavel National School in Ballymoot to Close Permanently

Calavel National School in Ballymoot, County Sligo, will close permanently after a decision by the Department of Education and Youth following a sustained decline in enrolment. The school’s board had run an extensive campaign to attract additional pupils, but falling student numbers made its continued operation unviable.

The closure comes amid a broader national trend. Primary‑school enrolment fell by almost 6 500 children last year, the largest drop seen in recent years, according to Department of Education and Youth data. Eleven primary schools have closed permanently since June because of low enrolment, and several others are now facing uncertain futures.

The situation is mirrored across the North West. Killavil National School in Ballymote also announced it would not reopen this September after a similar decline in pupils. Michelle Brennan, former local election candidate and Sinn Féin Ard Comhairle member, said the loss of Calavel is “another example of the decline of rural Ireland.”

The decision to close Calavel follows the same pattern that has seen other small schools in the region shut or merge. While community members had hoped a surge in enrolment would reverse the trend, the numbers remained too low to sustain the school’s operations.

Residents and former pupils will now have to travel further for primary education, adding pressure on already stretched rural transport services. The Department of Education has not yet announced any plans to relocate staff or redistribute students.

For more details, see the Ocean FM report and RTÉ coverage of the national enrolment decline.

Summary written by localnews.ie from the original source coverage. Click through for the full report.