Gaelscoil Aodha Rua first opened it's doors on 1st September 2011, forty years to the day since the establishment of Bunscoil Phobal Feirste, the first Irish Medium school in the North. We began with 12 pioneering pupils in our first ever Rang a 1 class, under the guidance of Múinteoir Móna and Múinteoir Tricia.

Gaelscoil Aodha Rua was the first Irish Medium School, outside of Belfast, to open with full recognition and funding from the Department of Education. In October 2014, having had an enrolment of more than 15 pupils in Rang 1 for three consecutive years, we fulfilled the criteria of the Sustainable Schools Policy and were awarded Capital Viability Status and provided with 3 new custom-built classrooms, an office & staff-room.

On 16th March 2016, we were delighted to be awarded £2.5 million from the Minister for Education's Capital Build fund, for the construction of a permanant school building. 

On 1st September 2017, we commenced the first school year with the full complement of 7 classes. In the current school year, we have a total of 135 pupils. We now employ 16 staff, both teaching and non-teaching and children come from all of the neighbouring parishes to be educated through the medium of Irish in our school. We have children from 12 local Gaelic sports clubs attending our school.

We recently celebrated the arrival of a 4th double accommodation unit, which encompasses a catering facility and additional class-room, which will future-proof our school until the new brick building is completed. Our Project Management Board meets each month to progress the capital build project and we hope to be ready to submit a planning application in the summer term.

This is a very exciting phase in the development of our school - we promise to keep you updated!