Competency of a leader is vital in setting the direction of an organisation, especially when that organisation is a school. A competency framework defines the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to carry out a role and serves as a solid foundation for recruitment, assessment, development and succession planning. The need to establish and implement a high quality competency framework at the point of selecting primary principals within an Irish context is vital. There has been little research undertaken in Ireland on the competencies required by school leaders to effectively run our primary schools. This study aims to address this gap. It examines the process in place for selecting and appointing primary principals within the broader context of the education system. It examines the extent to which competency frameworks are used to support this process and it also looks at the qualifications on the part of those entrusted with overseeing this process. The preferred method of data collection for the examination of the selection process and the use of competency frameworks was interview. The views of newly appointed principals, chairpersons of boards of management, representatives from the IPPN and CPSMA were sought for this purpose. Evidence from this study suggests that competency frameworks are not used in the process of selecting and appointing primary principals, nor is such a framework readily available to selection boards. The guidelines in place (DES circular 16/73, DES circular 02/02, Education Act 1998) are not deemed appropriate by the interested parties to address the needs associated with this recruitment process. The research demonstrates that there is no standardised approach to appointing a principal teacher within an Irish context. Recommendations from this study include the introduction of a competency framework to support the selection of primary principals, mandatory recruitment training for all persons involved in this process, expansion of the role of boards of management and finally, the provision of specialist Human Resource support to all persons engaged in the recruitment of primary school principals.