Ages 1 to 5
Wobblers, Toddlers and Pre School rooms, each with its own space and routine.
Creche & Montessori · Main Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24 · Since 2012
A second home for your child in the heart of Tallaght
Full-day care and Montessori pre-school in Dublin 24 for children from 12 months to school age, open 7am to 6pm all year round. Small rooms, a team that stays, and a daily window into your child's day through the Famly app.
7am - 6pm · Monday to Friday · Open all summer
- Caring for Tallaght families since 2012
- ECCE & NCS accepted
- 07:00 - 18:00, Mon to Fri, open all summer
- Freshly cooked meals included
Childcare in Tallaght, Dublin 24, at a glance
Full-day places
07:00 to 18:00 with breakfast, lunch and snacks, and free ECCE hours built into the day.
You see everything
Photos, meals, naps and learning notes on Famly, every day.
Why Little Ladybird?
Little Ladybird has been caring for Tallaght families since 2012. We are a small, independent creche and Montessori on Main Road, Dublin 24, and we set out to be exactly what the name suggests: somewhere little, warm and unhurried where children are known by name and parents are treated as partners.
Our mission is simple. We prepare a calm, natural environment, we watch closely, and we keep adapting it so every child can grow at their own pace - physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually. We follow Aistear, Ireland's early childhood curriculum framework, and the Montessori approach in our pre-school room, and we believe children learn best when they feel secure, respected and free to explore.
Every child who comes through our door should experience:
- the freedom to express themselves
- confidence and real enjoyment in learning
- friendship, sharing and cooperation
- being valued as an individual
- equal opportunity, whatever their gender, background, culture or ability
“Children, parents and staff regard this service as an extension of the home.”
Three rooms, one gentle journey
Each room has its own team, space and rhythm, and children move up when they are ready, not just when they have a birthday. We plan the move together with you, with settling-in visits to the new room first.
12-24 months
Wobblers
The first steps, first words and first friendships. A cosy, low-stimulation room with a separate sleep area, floor-level play, treasure baskets and lots of one-to-one time. We follow your child's home routine for naps and bottles and we log every feed, nappy and sleep on Famly so you never have to ask.
- Arrival & breakfast
- Morning circle & songs
- Treasure baskets & floor play
- Snack
- Outdoor play
- Lunch
- Nap, following your home routine
- Snack
- Sensory play
- Story & wind-down
- Close
24-36 months
Toddlers
Big feelings, big curiosity. Toddlers get room to move, mess to make and words to find. Daily outdoor play, sensory trays, songs and stories, early independence at snack time, and gentle, consistent support with toileting when the time is right.
- Arrival & breakfast
- Morning circle
- Free play & sensory trays
- Snack
- Outdoor play
- Lunch
- Nap / quiet time
- Snack
- Songs, stories & messy play
- Story & wind-down
- Close
3 years to school age
Pre School
Our Montessori room in Tallaght. Children choose real work from open shelves - pouring, sorting, sandpaper letters, number rods, practical life - inside a structured morning that is also the free ECCE session. Afternoons open out into project work, outdoor learning and school readiness, so children start primary school in Tallaght confident, curious and independent.
- Arrival & breakfast
- Morning circle
- Montessori work cycle
- Snack
- Outdoor play
- Lunch
- Quiet time
- Snack
- Project work & school readiness
- Story & wind-down
- Close
Not just minding. A curriculum with a name for everything.
We plan every week around Aistear, the national early childhood curriculum, and its four themes: Well-being, Identity & Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring & Thinking. Then we make it ours. These are the programmes your child will talk about at dinner.
Ladybird Explorers
Outdoor learning in all weathers.
Wellies on, out we go. Mud kitchen, planting, bug hunts and weather watching in our outdoor space.
Exploring & ThinkingAll rooms
Little Chefs
Cooking and food curiosity.
Children help prepare snack, taste what Little Dinners cooks, and learn where food comes from.
Well-beingToddlers & Pre School
Story & Song Circle
Language every single day.
Rhymes, puppets, story sacks and songs in English and the home languages of our families.
CommunicatingAll rooms
Montessori Work Cycle
Real materials, real independence.
A protected morning block in Pre School where children choose their own work: practical life, sensorial, language, maths and culture.
Exploring & ThinkingPre School
Mini Movers
Music, dance and gross motor play.
Daily movement sessions - obstacle courses, parachute games, dancing and ball skills - to build balance and confidence before school.
Well-beingAll rooms
Big Feelings, Little People
Emotional literacy and belonging.
Feelings boards, calm corners, “my family” walls and consistent key persons in every room.
Identity & BelongingAll rooms
Every child has a learning journal on Famly with photos and observations linked to Aistear. You can read it, comment on it, and keep it forever.
Book a visit (opens in a new tab)Two government schemes. We handle the paperwork with you.
One fee for every room: €1,194 a month, full day. Most of our families pay far less once the National Childcare Scheme and free ECCE hours are taken off. Every child can use NCS from 12 months, and every eligible child gets their ECCE hours free inside the full day. We register everything for you.
ECCE: free pre-school hours in Tallaght
- Who
- Children aged 2 years 8 months by 31 August of the year they start, until they go to primary school (no older than 5 years 6 months by the following 30 June).
- How much
- 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, 38 weeks a year (September to June), free.
- Here
- The ECCE session is our Montessori morning. Those hours come off your monthly fee as a flat €204.25 deduction.
- You need
- Your child's PPS number and birth certificate or passport. We do the registration.
NCS: the National Childcare Scheme
- Universal subsidy
- €2.14 per hour, up to 45 hours a week, for every child, no means test.
- Income-assessed subsidy
- Up to €5.10 per hour. From 31 August 2026 the income thresholds are €34,000 (maximum subsidy) and €68,000 (minimum subsidy), with multiple-child deductions of €5,500 for two children and €11,000 for three or more.
- Sponsored places
- We welcome children referred through sponsor bodies.
- How
- Apply at ncs.gov.ie (opens in a new tab) with MyGovID, receive your CHICK code, send it to us and we register your child. Most parents finish in under 20 minutes.
Rates correct as of September 2026, check ncs.gov.ie for updates.
What will you actually pay?
Two quick inputs, a real monthly figure.
Your monthly estimate
Eligible for free ECCE now - until June 2028
| Full-day fee, any room | €1,194 |
|---|---|
| NCS subsidy 45 h × €2.14 × 52 ÷ 12 | −€417 |
| ECCE deduction Free pre-school hours | −€204.25 |
| You pay per month | €573 |
NCS is paid directly to us and taken off your bill. This is an estimate; we confirm your exact fee when we register your child.
Questions parents ask
Straight answers, no small print.
Anything else, call 01 538 7050
From 12 months in our Wobblers room, up to the September they start primary school.
No, full-day places only, 07:00 to 18:00. ECCE hours are included free inside the full day.
Yes, both the universal and income-assessed subsidies, and sponsored referrals.
€1,194 a month in every room, before NCS and ECCE. Use the fee calculator to see your figure.
Yes: breakfast, a hot lunch and two snacks, cooked fresh by Little Dinners.
Yes, all year except public holidays.
Through the Famly app: photos, meals, naps and learning observations, updated during the day.
1 Main Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 FW08.
Freshly cooked, every day, by people who know our children
Our meals come from Little Dinners, a family-run Irish caterer that specialises in childcare services.
They do not drop off a standard tray. They build the menu with us, adapt it for every allergy and dietary need in the building, and rotate it with the seasons. Breakfast, a hot lunch, and morning and afternoon snacks are all included in your fee.
- Allergen-managed
- Vegetarian option
- Dairy-free option
- Weaning plans followed
| Monday | Pasta napoli |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Cod and rice |
| Wednesday | Creamy fish pie |
| Thursday | Beef casserole |
| Friday | Turkey curry |
A team that stays
Our educators are chosen for their qualifications, their experience and, above all, their warmth. Every room has a consistent lead and key persons, so your child sees the same faces every morning. All staff are Garda vetted, hold a minimum QQI Level 5 in Early Childhood Care and Education (room leads Level 6 or higher), and are trained in paediatric first aid and Children First.
Come and meet us - book a visit.
Arrange a visit through our enquiry form (opens in a new tab)Your child's day, in your pocket
We use Famly.co (opens in a new tab), the parent app used by thousands of nurseries. From the moment you drop off, you can see:
- photos and short updates through the day
- what your child ate, how long they slept, nappy changes (Wobblers and Toddlers)
- a learning journal with observations linked to Aistear
- direct messages with the room team
- invoices, NCS and ECCE statements, and sign-in/sign-out records
New families get their Famly invitation before their first settling-in day. Grandparents and second households can be added with your permission.
How enrolment works
Send an enquiry
Two minutes on the Famly form.
Visit us
See the rooms, meet the team.
Reserve your place
We set up ECCE and NCS with you.
Settling-in week
Short, gentle visits building up to full days.
Come and see us in Tallaght, Dublin 24
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Address
Families come to us from Kingswood, Kilnamanagh, Old Bawn, Firhouse, Springfield, Citywest and across Dublin 24.
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Phone
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Email
inquiries@littleladybird.ie for places
info@littleladybird.ie for everything else -
Opening hours
Open 07:00 - 18:00, Monday to Friday. Closed public holidays.
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