Photo: David Hawgood · CC BY-SA 2.0Knockrea has 3 fee-paying secondary schools in and around it
DEIS, the extra support for schools serving disadvantaged areas, reaches 49% of the schools around Knockrea, above both Co. Cork’s towns (35%) and Irish towns (35%). In or within 3 km of Knockrea: 50 primary schools, 25 secondary schools and 9 special schools, 24,668 pupils in all. Ireland publishes no school results, and the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them, so these schools are described here, never 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 Knockrea’s schools
Fee-paying secondary schools
Several of the secondary schools within reach charge fees; the others are free. Fee-paying schools are listed with the rest below, each with its own page. Fee-paying: Christian Brothers College (919), Presentation Brothers College (692) and Scoil Mhuire (432). Every school ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Within 10 km of the town there are 35 post-primary schools to choose from, of different kinds; each sets its own admission policy, and many families apply to several. The nearest: Ashton School (0.2 km), Coláiste Daibhéid (0.9 km) and Coláiste Chríost Rí (0.9 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Facts from the Department of Education’s lists; nothing here judges how well a school teaches.
The 84 schools in and around Knockrea
Every school in Knockrea or within 3 km of its outline, each linked to its own page. No letters and no results: Ireland publishes none school by school.
Show all 25 secondary schools
Show all 50 primary schools
Where the 84 schools in and around Knockrea 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 Knockrea’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 Knockrea
Schools by the language they teach in; the black tick is Ireland’s share.
9 of Knockrea’s 84 schools teach every subject through Irish: Coláiste Daibhéid, Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Alainn and Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa.
Who Knockrea’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 Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 43% | 18% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 12% | 8% | 6% |
| Girls | 50% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 53% | 33% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 18% | 7% | 6% |
43% of the pupils around Knockrea are at a DEIS school, more than the 27% across Ireland (18% in Co. Cork). Furthest from Ireland’s mix is the share of post-primary pupils at single-sex schools: 53% here against 29%. The biggest school in DEIS is Coláiste Éamann Rís (811 pupils).
Each of the 84 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 Knockrea’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
67 of Knockrea’s 84 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Cork & Ross (45), Cork ETB (4) and Bishop of Cork, Cloyne & Ross COI (4). 41 of the 84 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 19 patrons of Knockrea’s schools
Each school has a patron that owns it and sets its ethos; its board of management runs it.
The schools around Knockrea answer to 19 patrons, and Bishop of Cork & Ross leads with 45 of the 84 schools and 46% of their pupils. 7 are ETB schools. Educate Together runs 3.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop of Cork & RossScoil Nioclais, S.N. Naomh Antaine, Scoil Oilibheir, Bunscoil Chriost Ri, Scoil an Athair Tadhg O Murchu, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal B, St Columbas, Scoil Naomh Brid C, Douglas B, S.N. Barra Naofa Cailini, Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Scoil Mhuire agus Eoin, Muire Gan Smal C, North Presentation Primary School, S.N. Barra Naofa Bhuach, Gaelscoil Peig Sayers, Scoil Colmcille, Scoil Padre Pio, S.N. B Togher Cork, S.N. Athair Maitiu C, Ballintemple, Greenmount Monastery, Scoil Aiseiri Chriost, Scoil Iosagain, St Patricks College, Our Lady of Lourdes, S.N. Iosef Naofa, St Vincents Convent, Scoil Mhuire Fatima Boys Senior, Scoil Mhuire ar Chnoc hAoine, Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa, Scoil na Croise Naofa, Scoil Ursula, Scoil Maria Assumpta, St Patricks B, Lower Glanmire, Gaelscoil Mhachan, S.N. Padraig Naofa C, S.N. Bhreanndain C, Realt na Maidine, St Killians Spec Sch, S.N. Mharcuis B, S.N. Padraig Naofa, School of the Divine Child, St Kevins School | Catholic | 45 | 11,376 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustChristian Brothers College, Coláiste Éamann Rís, Gaelcholáiste Mhuire, North Monastery | Catholic | 4 | 2,691 |
| CEISTChrist King Girls', St Aloysius School, Presentation, Nano Nagle College | Catholic | 4 | 1,374 |
| Cork ETBNagle, St Aidan's, Terence Mac Swiney, Coláiste Daibhéid | Inter-denominational, Multi-denominational | 4 | 1,077 |
| Bishop of Cork, Cloyne & Ross COISt Lukes N.S. Douglas, Scoil Naomh Micheal, St Lukes Mxd, S.N. Barra Naofa | Church of Ireland | 4 | 476 |
| Educate TogetherDouglas Rochestown Educate Together, Cork Educate Together, South Lee Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 3 | 1,071 |
| Bishop of Cork & Ross & COPE FoundationSt Bernadettes Spec Sch, St Paul's School, Scoil Eanna | Catholic | 3 | 290 |
| Presentation Brothers Schools TrustPresentation Brothers College, Coláiste Chríost Rí | Catholic | 2 | 1,194 |
| Cork ETB & Bishop of Cork and RossDouglas, Mayfield | Inter-denominational | 2 | 967 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustSt. Angela's College, Ursuline College Blackrock | Catholic | 2 | 958 |
| Gaelachas TeoColaiste An Phiarsaigh, Scoil na nOg | Catholic | 2 | 610 |
| Brothers of Charity (Southern Services) Brother John O'SheaCara Junior School, Scoil Triest | Catholic | 2 | 144 |
| Regina Mundi (Cork) LtdRegina Mundi College | Catholic | 1 | 564 |
| Bishop of Cork, Cloyne & Ross COI/ Cork ETBAshton School | Church of Ireland | 1 | 539 |
| Named IndividualScoil Mhuire | Catholic | 1 | 432 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaGaelscoil an Ghoirt Alainn | Multi-denominational | 1 | 393 |
| Religious Sisters of CharitySt Vincent's | Catholic | 1 | 283 |
| Cork School ProjectCork Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 1 | 193 |
| COPE FoundationScoil Aislinn | Other | 1 | 36 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Knockrea
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 3 fee-paying schools here set their 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
24 schools here have grown by 5% or more since 2019/20, 33 have shrunk by as much, out of 74; across Ireland: +5%.
All 74 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 Knockrea’s schools
The Inspectorate’s published reports for each school, linked, without ratings
Reports come from whole-school evaluations (teaching, learning, leadership and management), subject inspections and follow-through visits that check earlier advice; gov.ie publishes each one with the school’s response.
Reports say what inspectors found and what should improve, without an overall grade, so none appears here; each of the 84 schools below links its own.
Department of Education Inspectorate reports on gov.ie, found by each school’s roll number.
Post-primary schools within reach of Knockrea
Every post-primary school within 10 km of the town; families choose and apply to each, at about twelve
35 post-primary schools are within 10 km of Knockrea: 22 voluntary secondary schools, 7 ETB schools, 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton SchoolComprehensive · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 539 | 0.2 km |
| Coláiste DaibhéidETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 151 | 0.9 km |
| Coláiste Chríost RíVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 502 | 0.9 km |
| Cork Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 403 | 1.2 km |
| Scoil MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 432 | 1.3 km |
| Christ King Girls' Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 700 | 1.3 km |
| Christian Brothers CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 919 | 1.4 km |
| Regina Mundi CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 1.4 km |
| St. Angela's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 606 | 1.5 km |
| Coláiste Éamann RísVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 811 | 1.5 km |
| St Patricks CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 218 | 1.5 km |
| Douglas Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Boys | – | 605 | 1.9 km |
All 35 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Aloysius SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 323 | 2 km |
| Mayfield Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 362 | 2.1 km |
| Presentation Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 190 | 2.1 km |
| St Vincent's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 283 | 2.2 km |
| Presentation Brothers CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 692 | 2.2 km |
| North Monastery Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 271 | 2.4 km |
| Gaelcholáiste MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 690 | 2.5 km |
| Ursuline College BlackrockVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 352 | 2.6 km |
| Nano Nagle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 161 | 2.9 km |
| St Aidan's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 309 | 3 km |
| Nagle Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 315 | 3.5 km |
| Terence Mac Swiney Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 302 | 3.6 km |
| Mount Mercy CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 811 | 4.4 km |
| Colaiste An PhiarsaighVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, Boarding | 578 | 4.6 km |
| Coláiste an Spioraid NaoimhVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 715 | 4.6 km |
| Bishopstown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 306 | 5.1 km |
| St Francis Capuchin CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 730 | 6 km |
| Glanmire Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,141 | 6.2 km |
| Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui LeighinETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 302 | 8.4 km |
| Scoil Mhuire gan SmalVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 1,124 | 8.4 km |
| St Peter's Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 354 | 8.4 km |
| Coláiste ChoilmETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | Irish stream | 1,357 | 8.7 km |
| Carrigaline Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,072 | 9.7 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Knockrea
9 special schools serve the area: School of the Divine Child (Scoil an Linbh Íosa), Scoil Aislinn, St Kevins School, St Paul's School, Scoil Eanna, St Bernadettes Spec Sch, St Killians Spec Sch, Cara Junior School and Scoil Triest, 632 pupils between them. 40 of the 50 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.
Knockrea beside the 97 other Irish towns of 3,700 to 7,100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncrana | 6,971 | 7 | 2,583 | 2 | 43% | 0.6 km |
| … | ||||||
| St Stephen's Green | 5,319 | 127 | 33,381 | 9 | 47% | 0 km |
| Monasterevin | 5,307 | 5 | 1,605 | 0 | 20% | 0.7 km |
| Inchicore | 5,285 | 76 | 21,071 | 3 | 59% | 0.7 km |
| Ballyboden | 5,246 | 73 | 26,593 | 7 | 21% | 0.3 km |
| Knockrea | 5,228 | 84 | 24,668 | 9 | 49% | 0.3 km |
| Ballybeg | 5,226 | 32 | 12,349 | 1 | 41% | 1.1 km |
| Tullow | 5,138 | 4 | 1,339 | 0 | 75% | 0.5 km |
| Clonakilty | 5,112 | 6 | 2,124 | 1 | 0% | 0.5 km |
| Glounthaune | 5,000 | 32 | 10,210 | 4 | 19% | 3.7 km |
| … | ||||||
| Cork City Centre | 3,701 | 77 | 23,441 | 7 | 48% | 0.5 km |
Among the 97 other towns, 10 have more pupils at their schools than Knockrea does. Teaching through Irish is on offer within 3 km in 78 of the 98.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Knockrea
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 Knockrea had 24,413 pupils in 2015/16 and 24,668 in 2025/26. Coláiste Éamann Rís grew most: +149% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Knockrea
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 Knockrea
For each nearby town, its schools in or within 3 km of its outline, with straight-line distances.
| Town | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knockrea | 84 | 24,668 | 9 | 49% | 0.3 km |
| Ballinlough 0.9 km | 79 | 23,116 | 7 | 47% | 0.6 km |
| St Luke's 1.1 km | 70 | 20,531 | 6 | 51% | 0.1 km |
| South Gate 1.4 km | 75 | 23,775 | 7 | 47% | 0.3 km |
| Montenotte 1.6 km | 70 | 20,121 | 8 | 49% | 0.5 km |
| Tramore 1.6 km | 75 | 22,562 | 7 | 48% | 0.7 km |
| Cork City Centre 1.7 km | 77 | 23,441 | 7 | 48% | 0.5 km |
Pupils around Knockrea: +1% since 2019/20. Among the neighbours, Ballinlough led (+2%) and South Gate trailed (−1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Knockrea 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 Knockrea
How many schools are there in Knockrea?
In Knockrea or within 3 km of it: 50 primary schools, 25 secondary schools and 9 special schools, with 24,668 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Knockrea that teach through Irish?
Yes, 9: Coláiste Daibhéid, Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Alainn and Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Knockrea?
3 of the 25: Scoil Mhuire, Christian Brothers College and Presentation Brothers College. The others are free.
What is the best school in Knockrea?
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 Knockrea?
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).