Active

Primary

Fri Apr 17 2026

Tue May 5 2026

Mon Aug 10 2026

Permanent

Special School

Vertical

Co-Educational

Catholic

39

130

Yes

Holy Family School for the Deaf was established on 1st September 2016 with the amalgamation of the two former Schools for the Deaf in Cabra namely St. Mary’s School for Deaf Girls and St. Joseph’s School for Deaf Boys. The largest special school for Deaf in Ireland, Holy Family is the inheritor of a long and proud tradition in the history of Deaf Education in Cabra. A designated special school, Holy Family School for the Deaf has a Catholic ethos and is under the patronage of the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.
Applications are invited for the position of Principal teacher. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to fostering a positive and supportive learning environment for Deaf children and those with additional needs.
The Principal will lead a dedicated and collaborative staff team of 37 teachers and 29 SNAs working closely with the Board of Management, parents/guardians and the wider school community to ensure the continued development and success of the school.

To qualify for appointment candidates must be

Fully registered under Route 1 (Primary), Route 4 (Other) or Route 2 (Post Primary) with the Teaching Council and have 5 years recognised teaching service, two of which must be in a recognised primary school or post-primary school within the Republic of Ireland.
The roles and responsibilities of this post relate to the four domains of leadership and management as specified in Looking at our Schools 2022: A quality Framework for Primary Schools and Special Schools.
1. Leading teaching and learning
2. Managing the organization
3. Leading school development
4. Developing leadership capacity.

The successful candidate will ideally demonstrate:

1. A clear and ambitious vision for high-quality teaching and learning in the context of Deaf Education.
2. A commitment to learning Irish Sign Language ISL which is essential to professional practice in Holy Family School for the Deaf.
3. A high level of understanding and knowledge of special education needs and of inclusion and diversity in education.
4. Strong leadership skills and experience of managing people.
5. Experience in prioritising, planning and organising workload.
6 A commitment to collaborative leadership and building positive relationships within the school community.
7.. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
8. A clear understanding of and commitment to the ethos of a Catholic school.