Established in 1996, Tir na nÓg Early Years Care & Educational Centre, Ltd. is located in Athy, Co. Kildare. We provide high quality care and early childhood educational experiences for children between the ages of 12 months and 12 years old. Kathleen, a qualified and experienced Montessori teacher, with the support of her husband Jim, first opened Tir na nÓg with the vision to create a home from home for every child that enters, including their own two children Lorraine and James.

Today, Tir na nÓg fulfils that vision through the passion and work of our highly qualified and experienced educators.  We are a full day care centre that provides sessional, full day and afterschool care for children from the Athy community and surrounding areas. We provide a child-centred environment where each child is respected, valued and supported to reach their full potential. We respect diversity and provide an atmosphere free from discrimination. We aim to focus on the holistic development of the child and build special partnerships with the family.  We support children to learn by doing – moving from concrete, hands-on experiences to more abstract concept development. We aim to create a balance of child led and adult -guided activities, as well as time for children to work individually, in small groups and in large groups. We believe that a stable, safe, healthy, comfortable, and culturally relevant environment is crucial to a child’s growth.

​

An award-winning centre, Tir na nÓg has won numerous awards throughout the years including awards for inspiring leadership and Kathleen herself winning Educator of the Year from Early Childhood Ireland. We aim to act as an advocate for quality childcare practices in Athy and the wider community.