Active

Primary

Wed Apr 15 2026

Thu Apr 30 2026

Tue Sep 1 2026

Permanent

Mainstream

Vertical

Co-Educational

Catholic

37

570

Yes

St Paul’s National School, Dooradoyle, Limerick is a Catholic, co-educational primary school under the patronage of the Bishop of Limerick.
The Board of Management of St Paul’s National School, invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Principal.
This is a permanent position to be appointed through open competition in line with Circular 0044/2019.

The roles and responsibilities of this post relate to the four domains of leadership and management as specified in Circular 0044/2019:

1. Leading teaching and learning
2. Managing the organisation
3. Leading school development
4. Developing leadership capacity

Circular 0044/2019 sets out the Eligibility Criteria for Appointment as Principal and for Primary Schools with 80 pupils or more applicants must:
• Be Fully registered under Route 1 (Primary) with the Teaching Council
and
• have 5 years recognised teaching service, two of which must be in a recognised primary school within the Republic of Ireland.

The successful candidate will be an experienced educational leader who can demonstrate:
• A clear understanding of and commitment to upholding the Catholic Ethos of the school
• Knowledge and capacity to successfully lead and administer a large school
• Experience in prioritising, planning and organising workload
• Previous experience in policy development.
• Excellent communication and people management skills
• A willingness to work collaboratively and foster positive relationships with all members of the school community
• A willingness and ability to work in partnership with external agencies
• An in-depth knowledge of the Primary curriculum and a broad range of teaching experience
• Experience in the development, implementation, operation and evaluation of innovative school- based initiatives.
• An excellent working knowledge of special education needs and of inclusion and diversity in education
• A commitment to and evidence of continuing professional development especially in the area of school leadership.

Appointment will be subject but not limited to:
• Satisfactory references
• Current & continuing Teaching Council registration
• Current Garda Vetting requirements
• Occupational Health screening

It is a requirement to hold a Statutory Declaration and to complete the Form of Undertaking.

A minimum of 3 applications that meet the short-listing criteria are required for the process to proceed. Shortlisting will apply and only those shortlisted will be contacted for interview. Successful applicants will be notified about the date for interviews as soon as possible after shortlisting, in line with Department requirements.

• Application envelope should clearly State: “Principal Application 2026”

• 4 copies of Standard Application Form for Principalship/Deputy Principalship - in English

• NB: When completing the section of the Standard Application Form for previous work experience, please include the number of pupils and number of teaching staff for each school worked in.

• Letter of Application and standard Application Form should clearly demonstrate your suitability for the post of principal in St Pauls NS

• 4 copies of Letter of Application

• Closing Time and Date for receipt of applications is 2pm on 30th April 2026