The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) has proposed the closure of Knocknagor Primary School, located outside Irvinestown in County Tyrone. The proposal would see the school discontinued from August 31, 2028, or as soon as possible after that date. No final decision has been made.

The school currently has 52 pupils and has been educating children from Kilskeery parish and surrounding areas for 92 years. It was opened in 1935.

The proposal follows a CCMS review of area plans between Trillick and Irvinestown. The review found that nearby schools could potentially accommodate Knocknagor pupils within their existing enrolment numbers.

Principal Briege Baxter has urged the Education Minister to visit the school and prevent its closure. She said the school is not just a school but an extended family, and its closure would have a significant impact on the community. She also raised concerns that some children might be taken out of Catholic education altogether, an issue she said the Council is aware of.

Parents were informed of the proposal at a special meeting held at the school on September 23. Ms. Baxter described the response from families as incredible, with parents immediately emailing MLAs and councillors. In a letter to parents, she wrote that the school would not go down without a fight.

Teacher Terri-Louise Stewart, a former pupil who now teaches primary one and two, said the school's small size allows staff to know pupils as individuals and provide support based on their needs. She highlighted the school's inclusion of Irish, British Sign Language, and Makaton in the curriculum.

Classroom assistant Louise Gallagher said the school is one big family and the heart of the Moorfield Road area. She said she would not send her children to a school in Irvinestown if Knocknagor were to close.

The school has invited members of CCMS and the Education Minister to visit. It has also achieved recognition, including being a joint winner of the Little Champions category at the Impartial Reporter's Community Champion Awards and becoming the first English-speaking school in Northern Ireland to win an All-Ireland competition at Féile Scoil Drámaíochta 2026.