Photo: Andrew Wood · CC BY-SA 2.0Most post-primaries around Shanbally take girls and boys: 0% are single-sex, below Co. Cork’s towns and Irish towns
Set beside other towns, Shanbally comes out below both Co. Cork’s towns (44%) and Irish towns (39%). 4,633 pupils go to the 8 primary schools, 3 secondary schools and 2 special schools in or within 3 km of Shanbally. These schools are described rather than graded, because Ireland publishes no school results and the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them.
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 Shanbally’s schools
More all-Irish schools than most places
Families here have more choice of a school that teaches every subject through Irish than in most of Ireland, where 8% of schools do. They are Gaelscoil Charraig Ui Leighin (591) and Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui Leighin (302). Language ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Within 10 km of the town there are 14 post-primary schools to choose from, of different kinds; each sets its own admission policy, and many families apply to several. The nearest: Carrigaline Community School (2.6 km), Edmund Rice College (3 km) and Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui Leighin (3.4 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Few schools in DEIS
DEIS, which gives schools in disadvantaged areas more teachers and money, includes just 1 of the 13 schools here, against 30% of schools across Ireland. The one in DEIS: Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour N.S. (58). Who goes there ↓
From the Department of Education’s school lists: facts, not judgements of how well a school teaches.
Teaching through Irish in and around Shanbally
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
2 of Shanbally’s 13 schools teach every subject through Irish: Gaelscoil Charraig Ui Leighin and Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui Leighin.
Where the 13 schools in and around Shanbally 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 Shanbally’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.
Who Shanbally’s schools serve
Shares of the pupils at the area’s schools, beside 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 Shanbally | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 1% | 18% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 19% | 8% | 6% |
| Girls | 49% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 0% | 33% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 7% | 6% |
DEIS schools teach 1% of the pupils around Shanbally, a smaller share than Ireland’s 27% (Co. Cork: 18%). Furthest from Ireland’s mix is the share of post-primary pupils at single-sex schools: 0% here against 29%. The biggest school in DEIS is Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour N.S. (58 pupils).
Each of the 13 schools
| School | Pupils | Girls | DEIS | All-Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanbally N.S.Primary | 192 | 43% | ||
| Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour N.S.Primary | 58 | 45% | ✓ | |
| Owenabue ETNSPrimary | 118 | 49% | ||
| Monkstown N.S.Primary | 194 | 51% | ||
| St Mary's Church of Ireland N.SPrimary | 204 | 46% | ||
| Carrigaline Community Special SchoolSpecial | 47 | 26% | ||
| Carrigaline Community SchoolPost-primary · Community school | 1,072 | 47% | ||
| Carrigaline Educate Together NSPrimary | 424 | 49% | ||
| Edmund Rice CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 580 | 54% | ||
| Gaelscoil Charraig Ui LeighinPrimary | 591 | 53% | ✓ | |
| Sonas Special Primary Junior SchoolSpecial | 48 | 33% | ||
| Holy Well National School (Scoil Tobair Naofa)Primary | 803 | 50% | ||
| Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui LeighinPost-primary · ETB | 302 | 53% | ✓ |
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 Shanbally’s schools
Who runs each school, as listed for 2025/26; the bars give the share of schools of each kind.
6 of Shanbally’s 13 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Cork & Ross (5), Educate Together (2) and Cork ETB (2). 1 of the 13 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 7 patrons of Shanbally’s schools
Each school has a patron that owns it and sets its ethos; its board of management runs it.
Of the 13 schools around Shanbally, 5 have Bishop of Cork & Ross as patron, teaching 40% of the pupils; 7 patrons in all. Education and Training Boards run 3 of them. Educate Together runs 2.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop of Cork & RossHoly Well National School, Gaelscoil Charraig Ui Leighin, Monkstown, Shanbally, Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour | Catholic | 5 | 1,838 |
| Educate TogetherCarrigaline Educate Together NS, Owenabue ETNS | Multi-denominational | 2 | 542 |
| Cork ETBGaelcholáiste Charraig Ui Leighin, Carrigaline Community Special School | Multi-denominational | 2 | 349 |
| Cork ETB & Bishop of Cork and RossCarrigaline | Inter-denominational | 1 | 1,072 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustEdmund Rice College | Catholic | 1 | 580 |
| Bishop of Cork, Cloyne & Ross COISt Mary's Church of Ireland N.S | Church of Ireland | 1 | 204 |
| Brothers of Charity (Southern Services) Brother John O'SheaSonas Special Primary Junior School | Other | 1 | 48 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Shanbally
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.
Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018; each school’s admission policy and notice are on its own website.
Which schools are growing
Since 2019/20, 2 of these 9 schools have grown by 5% or more and 5 have shrunk as much; across Ireland the number of pupils changed by +5%.
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.
The 13 schools in and around Shanbally
Every school in Shanbally or within 3 km of its outline, each linked to its own page. Letters and results are missing here for a reason: Ireland publishes neither school by school.
Inspection reports for Shanbally’s schools
The Department of Education’s Inspectorate: every school’s reports linked, none rated
The Inspectorate inspects schools in several ways: a whole-school evaluation covers teaching, learning and how the school is led; a subject inspection looks at one subject; a follow-through checks on earlier advice. Reports go on gov.ie with the school’s reply.
Reports say what inspectors found and what should improve, without an overall grade, so none appears here; each of the 13 schools below links its own.
| School | Reports on gov.ie |
|---|---|
| Shanbally N.S.Primary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour N.S.Primary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Owenabue ETNSPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Monkstown N.S.Primary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| St Mary's Church of Ireland N.SPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Carrigaline Community Special SchoolSpecial | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Carrigaline Community SchoolPost-primary · Community school | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Carrigaline Educate Together NSPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Edmund Rice CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Gaelscoil Charraig Ui LeighinPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Sonas Special Primary Junior SchoolSpecial | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Holy Well National School (Scoil Tobair Naofa)Primary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui LeighinPost-primary · ETB | Inspection reports ↗ |
Department of Education Inspectorate reports on gov.ie, found by each school’s roll number.
Post-primary schools within reach of Shanbally
Post-primary schools within 10 km of the town; children move at about twelve, and families apply to each school
14 post-primary schools are within 10 km of Shanbally: 7 voluntary secondary schools, 3 community schools, 3 ETB schools and one comprehensive school. 5 teach girls and boys apart: 3 girls’ and 2 boys’ schools. Just one teaches every subject through Irish.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrigaline Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,072 | 2.6 km |
| Edmund Rice CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 580 | 3 km |
| Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui LeighinETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 302 | 3.4 km |
| St Peter's Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 354 | 4.2 km |
| St Francis Capuchin CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 730 | 4.7 km |
| Colaiste MuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 523 | 4.9 km |
| Coláiste MuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 709 | 5 km |
| Carrignafoy Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 322 | 5.4 km |
| Nagle Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 315 | 7.7 km |
| Douglas Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Boys | – | 605 | 8.2 km |
| Ursuline College BlackrockVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 352 | 8.6 km |
| Regina Mundi CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 8.7 km |
All 14 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christ King Girls' Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 700 | 9.7 km |
| Ashton SchoolComprehensive · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 539 | 9.8 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Shanbally
2 special schools serve the area: Carrigaline Community Special School and Sonas Special Primary Junior School, 95 pupils between them. 6 of the 8 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.
Shanbally beside the 297 other Irish towns of 200 to 500 people
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km, listed by population: Ireland publishes no results, so none is ranked
| Town | People | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stradbally | 500 | 2 | 134 | 0 | 0% | 8.7 km |
| … | ||||||
| Newbliss | 352 | 1 | 101 | 0 | 0% | 6.3 km |
| Collinstown | 351 | 1 | 166 | 0 | 0% | 6.8 km |
| Newcastle | 351 | 1 | 111 | 0 | 0% | 11 km |
| Ballintogher | 351 | 2 | 129 | 0 | 0% | 5.1 km |
| Shanbally | 350 | 13 | 4,633 | 2 | 8% | 2.6 km |
| Kill | 349 | 1 | 105 | 0 | 0% | 6.7 km |
| Legan | 346 | 1 | 69 | 0 | 100% | 11 km |
| Ballyporeen | 346 | 1 | 135 | 0 | 100% | 11 km |
| Ballydehob | 345 | 2 | 107 | 0 | 50% | 7.4 km |
| … | ||||||
| Lahardane | 200 | 1 | 76 | 0 | 0% | 7.1 km |
More pupils attend the schools around 2 of the other 297 towns than around Shanbally. 23 of the 298 towns have an all-Irish school within 3 km.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Shanbally
Each September’s pupils at every school in or within 3 km of the town, counted where the school stands today.
The schools in and around Shanbally had 3,751 pupils in 2015/16 and 4,633 in 2025/26. Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui Leighin grew most: +156% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Shanbally
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 Shanbally
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanbally | 13 | 4,633 | 2 | 8% | 2.6 km |
| Carrigaline 3.1 km | 12 | 4,439 | 2 | 8% | 0.5 km |
| Passage West-Monkstown 4.2 km | 16 | 4,438 | 0 | 6% | 0.1 km |
| Cobh 4.3 km | 13 | 3,613 | 1 | 23% | 0.8 km |
| Crosshaven 5.3 km | 5 | 1,057 | 0 | 20% | 0.5 km |
| Douglas 6.5 km | 66 | 20,250 | 10 | 20% | 1.8 km |
| Mahon 8.2 km | 63 | 18,590 | 8 | 30% | 0.4 km |
Douglas has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 10. Pupils around Shanbally: +9% since 2019/20. Among the neighbours, Carrigaline led (+9%) and Cobh trailed (−11%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Shanbally 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 Shanbally
How many schools are there in Shanbally?
In Shanbally or within 3 km of it: 8 primary schools, 3 secondary schools and 2 special schools, with 4,633 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Shanbally that teach through Irish?
Yes, 2: Gaelscoil Charraig Ui Leighin and Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui Leighin teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Shanbally?
No: all 3 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Shanbally?
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 Shanbally?
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).