*Staff and students of Furglan NS. Photograph: John Sheridan
FURGLAN NS’ “tremendous effort” to enrol four extra pupils has fallen short but the North Clare school will be making an appeal to the Department of Education to keep its doors open.
A save our school campaign by Furglan NS captivated the attention of the nation but their efforts over the past week to get four more students on their books by the September 30th deadline did not become a reality.
Principal, Patricia Vaughan confirmed to The Clare Echo, “Unfortunately, despite a tremendous effort over the past week, we have been unable to secure the additional four students by the Department of Education’s September 30th deadline”.
All hope is not lost however for the future of Furglan NS. Ms Vaughan confirmed that the school has been advised by the Department’s primary allocations unit to submit a ‘small school appeal’ to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board in order to retain their school status and current staffing levels. This route is only available to schools that have two, three or four teachers.
She stated, “We will be submitting this appeal in February/March 2026, once the Department has issued the updated national guidelines on the staffing schedule for primary education in Ireland”.
The Clare Echo understands that the Department received an influx of correspondence from the public in support of Furglan NS’ bid to keep its doors open.
Efforts to add to the current total of seven students in Furglan NS will continue, she said. “Our efforts to boost enrolment numbers continue, and we greatly appreciate everyone’s support and assistance in helping us work towards this goal.
“We appeal to the wider North Clare community for its continued assistance help in spreading our message among friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours. Your backing could make a real difference in reaching families who may not yet be aware of our situation, while also ensuring that the voices of rural schools are heard at a national level,” Patricia told The Clare Echo.
This appeal mechanism means the school will not have to consult with its patron, Bishop Michal Duignan to discuss future plans despite not reaching the threshold of eleven pupils.
