Cork County Council Recruiting School Wardens Across County

Cork County Council is seeking school wardens for multiple locations across Cork, with three recruitment competitions currently open offering €19.02 per hour to ensure the safety of children crossing busy roads during school times.

The local authority has launched recruitment for both permanent and relief school warden positions in Charleville and East Cork, with roles playing a vital part in protecting primary school pupils as they travel to and from school each day. School wardens are among the only officials in Ireland, alongside An Garda Síochána, who have the legal authority to stop traffic on public roads.

The vacancies include a permanent position at St Anne's Primary School in Charleville, a relief role covering three schools in the Charleville area, and a relief position serving six schools across East Cork including Youghal, Midleton, Cloyne, and Upper Aghada.

Applications for the Charleville area relief position (covering St Anne's NS, CBS NS, and Newtownshandrum NS) close today at 4pm. The East Cork relief role, which will provide cover for schools in Youghal, Killeagh, Cloyne, Midleton, and Upper Aghada, closes at 4pm on Friday, 14 November 2025. The permanent St Anne's Primary School position has a deadline of 4pm on Monday, 17 November 2025.

Successful candidates will work during morning drop-off times, lunch periods, and afternoon collections, operating at designated crossing points near their assigned schools. The roles require punctuality, vigilance, and the ability to control traffic whilst maintaining supervision of children awaiting instructions to cross.

Patricia O'Mahony, School Warden, Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers:

"I love being a school warden. It's very rewarding and satisfying. There's nothing too arduous about the job but you would certainly want your wits about you and need to be vigilant at all times."

Patricia, who works at a gaelscoil in Cork, described her typical day balancing her own children's school runs with her warden duties. She highlighted the rewarding nature of meeting and greeting children each morning, noting that youngsters often share snippets of their lives, show their artwork, or discuss the books they're reading.

The roles, governed by the Road Traffic Act 1961, require wardens to wear distinctive high-visibility uniforms and carry an official 'Stop' sign. By displaying this sign, wardens can legally halt traffic to enable children to cross safely. The positions are pensionable and run for the duration of the school year, with no payment during normal holiday periods including summer, Christmas, and Easter breaks.

Candidates must be of good character, in good health, and possess a solid general education. Those appointed will undergo Garda vetting before taking up positions and must complete training provided by An Garda Síochána and Cork County Council. The compulsory retirement age is 70 years.

Working hours will be determined by school principals and are subject to review based on changes to school start and finish times. Successful candidates will need to provide their own transport to and from work and must reside within the Municipal District or within reasonable distance.

The roles carry significant responsibility. Wardens must report all accidents at crossing points immediately, maintain detailed records, and never attempt to apportion blame. They must not interrupt organised convoys, weddings, funerals, or emergency vehicles, instead waiting for suitable opportunities to allow children to cross safely.

Relief wardens will be expected to provide cover across multiple schools as required, offering flexibility to support various locations within their designated areas. The East Cork relief position will initially be based in Youghal, with any panel formed potentially used to fill future vacancies throughout the East Cork Municipal District, including Aghada, Castlemartyr, Cloyne, Midleton, and Youghal.

Patricia acknowledged that weather presents the most challenging aspect of the job, particularly during winter's lashing rain or freezing temperatures, though she praised the quality of the supplied gear. She also noted the challenge of learning all the children's names, especially when new junior infants start each September.

Cork County Council emphasises that positions require strict adherence to safety policies at all times. Any disobedience by motorists should be reported to An Garda Síochána, whilst any difficulties controlling children should be reported to school principals.

Panels may be formed from these competitions to fill vacancies that may arise during the panels' lifetime, typically one year but extendable at the discretion of the Head of Human Resource Management.

Application forms and further details are available on the careers section of corkcoco.ie or by emailing recruit@corkcoco.ie. Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements and are deemed suitable may be called for competitive interview.

Cork County Council operates as an equal opportunities employer and treats all applications in strict confidence, subject to Freedom of Information Act provisions.