Photo: Hywel Williams · CC BY-SA 2.0Presentation Brothers College is the fee-paying secondary school near Inishkenny
Families in Inishkenny have 25 primary schools, 14 secondary schools and 4 special schools within 3 km, teaching 16,164 pupils. With no school results published in Ireland, and the Education Act 1998 restricting comparisons of them, these schools are described, not graded or ranked.
Every school in the town or within 3 km of its outline, from the Department of Education’s lists for 2025/26; Ireland’s figures are every school in the lists.
What stands out about Inishkenny’s schools
One fee-paying secondary school
One secondary school within reach charges fees; the others are free. The fee-paying one: Presentation Brothers College (692). Every school ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Within 10 km of the town there are 34 post-primary schools to choose from, of different kinds; each sets its own admission policy, and many families apply to several. The nearest: Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh (1.4 km), Bishopstown Community School (1.8 km) and Mount Mercy College (2.1 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Drawn from the Department of Education’s lists; none of it judges how well a school teaches.
The 43 schools in and around Inishkenny
Here are the schools in Inishkenny or within 3 km of it, every one with its own page. You won’t find letters or results below: Ireland publishes none for single schools.
Show all 25 primary schools
Where the 43 schools in and around Inishkenny are
Each school where the official list places it, shaded by who runs it and sized by pupils; squares are secondary schools, triangles special schools. The dashed shape is Inishkenny’s outline; schools within 3 km of it count.
Places from the Department of Education’s school lists (its own coordinates for all but a handful); map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Teaching through Irish in and around Inishkenny
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
4 of Inishkenny’s 43 schools teach every subject through Irish: Gaelscoil Ui Riada, Gael Scoil Ui Riordain and Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa.
Who Inishkenny’s schools serve
How the area’s pupils divide, against Co. Cork’s and Ireland’s, 2025/26
Each bar is the area’s share; the tick marks Ireland’s.
DEIS by stage: pupils at DEIS schools
| Share of pupils | Around Inishkenny | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 26% | 18% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 8% | 8% | 6% |
| Girls | 50% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 46% | 33% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 9% | 7% | 6% |
The share of pupils at DEIS schools around Inishkenny, 26%, is close to Ireland’s 27% (Co. Cork: 18%). Where this area differs most from Ireland is post-primary pupils at single-sex schools, at 46% against 29%. Coláiste Éamann Rís, with 811 pupils, is the largest school here in DEIS.
Each of the 43 schools
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary): enrolments by sex and the DEIS list. Shares are of pupils, not of schools; a county’s are the schools listed with its towns.
Who runs Inishkenny’s schools
Who runs each school, as listed for 2025/26; the bars give the share of schools of each kind.
34 of Inishkenny’s 43 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Cork & Ross (24), CEIST (4) and Presentation Brothers Schools Trust (3). 15 of the 43 are in DEIS, the extra support for schools in disadvantaged areas (30% across Ireland).
Department of Education school lists: ethos 2025/26, patron 2024/25 (the 2025/26 lists don’t give it). DEIS list 2025/26.
The 12 patrons of Inishkenny’s schools
Each school has a patron that owns it and sets its ethos; its board of management runs it.
Of the 43 schools around Inishkenny, 24 have Bishop of Cork & Ross as patron, teaching 47% of the pupils; 12 patrons in all. Education and Training Boards run 5 of them. Educate Together runs one.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop of Cork & RossGael Scoil Ui Riordain, Scoil Nioclais, Bunscoil Chriost Ri, Scoil Barra, Scoil Naomh Mhuire C, Scoil Naomh Caitriona, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal B, Scoil an Spioraid Naomh, S.N. Naomh Eoin B, S.N. Baile Nora, Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Muire Gan Smal C, Scoil Colmcille, S N an Spioraid Naomh C, Gaelscoil Ui Riada, S.N. Athair Maitiu C, S.N. B Togher Cork, Greenmount Monastery, S.N. Iosef Naofa, Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa, Scoil Maria Assumpta, Realt na Maidine, Our Lady of Good Counsel, St Kevins School | Catholic | 24 | 7,562 |
| CEISTMount Mercy College, Christ King Girls', St Aloysius School, Presentation | Catholic | 4 | 2,024 |
| Presentation Brothers Schools TrustColáiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Presentation Brothers College, Coláiste Chríost Rí | Catholic | 3 | 1,909 |
| Cork ETBColáiste Choilm, Terence Mac Swiney, Coláiste Daibhéid | Inter-denominational, Multi-denominational | 3 | 1,810 |
| Cork ETB & Bishop of Cork and RossBallincollig, Bishopstown | Inter-denominational | 2 | 1,293 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustColáiste Éamann Rís | Catholic | 1 | 811 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustLe Cheile Secondary School Ballincollig | Catholic | 1 | 254 |
| Cork School ProjectCork Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 1 | 193 |
| Educate TogetherSouth Lee Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 1 | 162 |
| Bishop of Cork, Cloyne & Ross COIS.N. Barra Naofa | Church of Ireland | 1 | 75 |
| Brothers of Charity (Southern Services) Brother John O'SheaSt Gabriels Special School | Catholic | 1 | 54 |
| CEO of Cork University HospitalCork University Hos School | Multi-denominational | 1 | 17 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Inishkenny
Starting primary school
Children can start primary school once they are four, and must be in school by six. Families apply to each school directly. Every school publishes an admission policy and a yearly admission notice; a school with more applicants than places admits on the criteria in its policy. Since the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, a Catholic or other majority-faith primary school can’t put baptised children first; a school of a minority faith still can, to keep its ethos.
Moving to secondary school
Children move to post-primary school at about twelve, after sixth class. Again, families apply to each school, usually a year or more ahead, and an oversubscribed school admits on its published criteria, often brothers and sisters and its feeder primary schools. The fee-paying school here sets its own fees and admissions.
Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018; each school’s admission policy and notice are on its own website.
Which schools are growing
Between 2019/20 and now, 5 of the 37 grew by 5% or more and 16 shrank as much, while Ireland’s pupil numbers moved +5%.
All 37 schools
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September, 2019/20 and 2025/26 (preliminary). No capacity is published, so how full a school is can’t be shown.
Inspection reports for Inishkenny’s schools
The Inspectorate’s published reports for each school, linked, without ratings
Inspectors visit every kind of school. Whole-school evaluations look at teaching and learning, leadership and management; subject inspections look at one subject; follow-through inspections check whether earlier advice was taken. Each report is published on gov.ie with the school’s response.
The reports describe what inspectors saw and what each school should do next. They give no overall grade, so none is shown here; the 43 schools below each link their own.
Department of Education Inspectorate reports on gov.ie, found by each school’s roll number.
Post-primary schools within reach of Inishkenny
All post-primaries within 10 km; at about twelve, families choose and apply school by school
34 post-primary schools are within 10 km of Inishkenny: 23 voluntary secondary schools, 6 ETB schools, 4 community schools and one comprehensive school. 14 teach girls and boys apart: 8 girls’ and 6 boys’ schools. Fees are charged at 3 of them. Every subject is taught through Irish at 4 of them.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coláiste an Spioraid NaoimhVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 715 | 1.4 km |
| Bishopstown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 306 | 1.8 km |
| Mount Mercy CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 811 | 2.1 km |
| Presentation Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 190 | 2.6 km |
| Coláiste Éamann RísVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 811 | 3.3 km |
| St Aloysius SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 323 | 3.3 km |
| Presentation Brothers CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 692 | 3.4 km |
| Christ King Girls' Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 700 | 3.6 km |
| Terence Mac Swiney Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 302 | 3.7 km |
| Coláiste Chríost RíVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 502 | 3.7 km |
| Coláiste DaibhéidETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 151 | 3.9 km |
| St. Angela's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 606 | 4.5 km |
All 34 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 432 | 4.5 km |
| St Vincent's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 283 | 4.5 km |
| North Monastery Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 271 | 4.6 km |
| Christian Brothers CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 919 | 4.6 km |
| Ashton SchoolComprehensive · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 539 | 4.7 km |
| Gaelcholáiste MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 690 | 4.7 km |
| Douglas Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Boys | – | 605 | 4.7 km |
| Regina Mundi CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 4.7 km |
| Nano Nagle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 161 | 4.8 km |
| Cork Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 403 | 5 km |
| Coláiste ChoilmETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | Irish stream | 1,357 | 5.3 km |
| St Patricks CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 218 | 5.6 km |
| St Aidan's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 309 | 6.4 km |
| Mayfield Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 362 | 6.5 km |
| Ballincollig Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 987 | 6.7 km |
| Le Cheile Secondary School BallincolligVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 254 | 6.7 km |
| Ursuline College BlackrockVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 352 | 7 km |
| Scoil Mhuire gan SmalVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 1,124 | 7.6 km |
| Nagle Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 315 | 7.7 km |
| Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui LeighinETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 302 | 8.9 km |
| St Francis Capuchin CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 730 | 9.2 km |
| Colaiste An PhiarsaighVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, Boarding | 578 | 9.2 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Inishkenny
4 special schools serve the area: St Gabriels Special School, Cork University Hos School, Our Lady of Good Counsel N.S. and St Kevins School, 149 pupils between them. 17 of the 25 primary schools have special classes for children who need more support. Their cards ↑
Special schools and primary schools with special classes as the Department lists them; the National Council for Special Education places pupils in special classes.
Inishkenny beside the 96 other Irish towns of 3,900 to 7,500 people
Schools in or within 3 km of each town, by population; none is ranked, as Ireland publishes no results
| Town | People | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkinstown | 7,442 | 91 | 27,293 | 3 | 51% | 0.2 km |
| … | ||||||
| Portobello | 5,732 | 110 | 29,104 | 7 | 46% | 0.4 km |
| Blessington | 5,611 | 6 | 1,711 | 1 | 0% | 0.2 km |
| Knocknaheeny | 5,592 | 59 | 18,265 | 5 | 59% | 0.5 km |
| Carrigtwohill | 5,568 | 6 | 2,782 | 0 | 0% | 0.2 km |
| Inishkenny | 5,552 | 43 | 16,164 | 4 | 35% | 1.4 km |
| Roscrea | 5,542 | 8 | 1,763 | 0 | 50% | 0.5 km |
| Ardee | 5,478 | 5 | 2,252 | 0 | 60% | 0.8 km |
| Edmondstown | 5,451 | 57 | 23,063 | 6 | 12% | 1.1 km |
| Salthill | 5,445 | 30 | 10,795 | 4 | 23% | 0.6 km |
| … | ||||||
| Castleblayney | 3,926 | 9 | 2,076 | 1 | 44% | 0.5 km |
More pupils attend the schools around 34 of the other 96 towns than around Inishkenny. Within 3 km, 82 of these 97 towns have a school teaching through Irish.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Inishkenny
Pupils every September at the schools in or within 3 km of the town, each counted at today’s site.
The schools in and around Inishkenny had 15,790 pupils in 2015/16 and 16,164 in 2025/26. Coláiste Éamann Rís grew most: +149% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Inishkenny
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September each year, 2015/16 to 2025/26 (preliminary), for every school placed in the area today; schools that have since closed or merged count where they stood.
Schools in the towns around Inishkenny
Schools in or within 3 km of each neighbouring town; distances in a straight line.
| Town | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inishkenny | 43 | 16,164 | 4 | 35% | 1.4 km |
| Lehenagh 1.5 km | 43 | 14,801 | 4 | 33% | 2.3 km |
| Bishopstown 1.5 km | 54 | 18,909 | 6 | 50% | 0.3 km |
| Togher 1.6 km | 60 | 20,680 | 6 | 45% | 1 km |
| Glasheen 2.1 km | 66 | 21,351 | 6 | 50% | 1.1 km |
| Gillabbey 2.7 km | 72 | 22,124 | 6 | 50% | 0.7 km |
| Turner's Cross 2.8 km | 77 | 24,127 | 7 | 44% | 0.3 km |
Turner's Cross has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 7. The roll around Inishkenny moved +2% since 2019/20; nearby, Bishopstown grew most (+0%) and Lehenagh least (−3%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Inishkenny or within 3 km of its outline, as the Department places it: families here use them. Schools further out are on the map of each school’s own page.
- The kinds of school. Primary schools take children from junior infants to sixth class, about ages 4 to 12. Post-primary schools teach the Junior and Leaving Certificate, about ages 12 to 18: voluntary secondary schools (mostly with a religious patron), ETB schools and community colleges run by an Education and Training Board, and community and comprehensive schools. Special schools teach children with particular needs.
- Teaching through Irish. All-Irish: every subject taught through Irish, in the Gaeltacht or, outside it, a Gaelscoil or Gaelcholáiste. Partly in Irish: an Irish stream (some classes entirely through Irish) or some subjects through Irish. Every other school teaches Irish as a subject.
- DEIS. DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) gives schools serving disadvantaged areas more teachers, money and support; the Department decides which schools are in it.
- Ethos and patron. Most Irish schools are owned by a patron, mostly a church; the patron sets the school’s ethos. Multi-denominational schools (Educate Together, many ETB schools) teach children of every faith and none together.
- No grade. Section 53 of the Education Act 1998 lets the Minister refuse to release information that would allow schools’ exam results to be compared, and no results are published school by school. So Ireland’s schools have no letters and its towns no School Grade; nothing on this page ranks them.
- What isn’t here. What the UK and French pages show from results, these can’t: results charts, results against pupils’ backgrounds and towns ranked by their schools (no published results), and how full each school is (no capacity is published). Every post-primary school teaches to the Leaving Certificate, so there is no sixth-form split to show.
- Inspections. The Inspectorate’s reports are linked from each school’s page. They give no overall grade, so none is shown.
- The year. The 2025/26 lists are the Department’s preliminary release; numbers can change a little in the final lists.
Questions about schools in Inishkenny
How many schools are there in Inishkenny?
In Inishkenny or within 3 km of it: 25 primary schools, 14 secondary schools and 4 special schools, with 16,164 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Inishkenny that teach through Irish?
Yes, 4: Gaelscoil Ui Riada, Gael Scoil Ui Riordain and Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Inishkenny?
1 of the 14: Presentation Brothers College. The others are free.
What is the best school in Inishkenny?
We don’t say. Ireland publishes no exam results school by school, and section 53 of the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them; a ranking would rest on guesses. Each school’s page has its own facts and a link to its inspection reports, and visiting the schools you are weighing is still the best guide.
How do I get a place at a school in Inishkenny?
Apply to each school directly: every school publishes an admission policy and a yearly admission notice with its dates. If it has more applicants than places, it admits on the criteria in its policy.
Sources: Department of Education, school lists 2025/26 (preliminary) and enrolments since 2015/16, CC BY 4.0 · one school placed with OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).