Photo: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.03 of the secondary schools in and around South Gate charge fees
Around South Gate, 47% of schools are in DEIS, above both Co. Cork’s towns (35%) and Irish towns (35%). In or within 3 km of South Gate: 44 primary schools, 24 secondary schools and 7 special schools, 23,775 pupils in all. 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 South Gate’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 ↓
One school growing fast
Coláiste Éamann Rís has grown from 326 pupils in 2019/20 to 811, the fastest of the schools here. Getting a place ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Families here can choose among 36 post-primary schools within 10 km of the town, of more than one kind; each admits on its own published policy, so applying to more than one is common. The nearest: Coláiste Éamann Rís (0.3 km), Coláiste Daibhéid (0.5 km) and St Aloysius School (0.7 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Facts from the Department of Education’s lists; nothing here judges how well a school teaches.
The 75 schools in and around South Gate
Every school in South Gate or within 3 km of its outline, each linked to its own page. No letters, no results: Irish schools aren’t ranked one by one.
Show all 44 primary schools
Where the 75 schools in and around South Gate 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 South Gate’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 South Gate
The schools by teaching language, with Ireland’s share as the black tick.
7 of South Gate’s 75 schools teach every subject through Irish: Coláiste Daibhéid, Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire.
Who South Gate’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 South Gate | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 39% | 18% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 10% | 8% | 6% |
| Girls | 51% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 62% | 33% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 18% | 7% | 6% |
39% of the pupils around South Gate are at a DEIS school, more than the 27% across Ireland (18% in Co. Cork). The biggest difference from Ireland is in post-primary pupils at single-sex schools: 62% here, 29% there. Of the DEIS schools here, Coláiste Éamann Rís is the biggest: 811 pupils.
Each of the 75 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 South Gate’s schools
Who runs each school, as listed for 2025/26; the bars give the share of schools of each kind.
60 of South Gate’s 75 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Cork & Ross (41), CEIST (5) and Edmund Rice Schools Trust (4). 35 of the 75 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 18 patrons of South Gate’s schools
Patrons own the schools and set their ethos; boards of management run them day to day.
Of the 75 schools around South Gate, 41 have Bishop of Cork & Ross as patron, teaching 46% of the pupils; 18 patrons in all. 6 are ETB schools. Educate Together runs 2.
| 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 Naomh Caitriona, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal B, St Columbas, Scoil Naomh Brid C, Douglas B, S.N. Barra Naofa Cailini, Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Muire Gan Smal C, North Presentation Primary School, Gaelscoil Peig Sayers, S.N. Barra Naofa Bhuach, Scoil Colmcille, Scoil Padre Pio, Gaelscoil Ui Riada, S.N. B Togher Cork, S.N. Athair Maitiu C, Ballintemple, Greenmount Monastery, Scoil Aiseiri Chriost, Scoil Iosagain, St Patricks College, S.N. Iosef Naofa, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Vincents Convent, Scoil Mhuire Fatima Boys Senior, Scoil Mhuire ar Chnoc hAoine, Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa, Scoil Maria Assumpta, St Patricks B, S.N. Padraig Naofa C, S.N. Bhreanndain C, Realt na Maidine, S.N. Mharcuis B, S.N. Padraig Naofa, School of the Divine Child, St Kevins School | Catholic | 41 | 10,969 |
| CEISTMount Mercy College, Christ King Girls', St Aloysius School, Presentation, Nano Nagle College | Catholic | 5 | 2,185 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustChristian Brothers College, Coláiste Éamann Rís, Gaelcholáiste Mhuire, North Monastery | Catholic | 4 | 2,691 |
| Presentation Brothers Schools TrustColáiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Presentation Brothers College, Coláiste Chríost Rí | Catholic | 3 | 1,909 |
| Cork ETBSt Aidan's, Terence Mac Swiney, Coláiste Daibhéid | Inter-denominational, Multi-denominational | 3 | 762 |
| Bishop of Cork, Cloyne & Ross COISt Lukes N.S. Douglas, St Lukes Mxd, S.N. Barra Naofa | Church of Ireland | 3 | 374 |
| Bishop of Cork & Ross & COPE FoundationSt Bernadettes Spec Sch, St Paul's School, Scoil Eanna | Catholic | 3 | 290 |
| Cork ETB & Bishop of Cork and RossDouglas, Mayfield | Inter-denominational | 2 | 967 |
| Educate TogetherCork Educate Together, South Lee Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 2 | 565 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustSt. Angela's College | Catholic | 1 | 606 |
| 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 |
| 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 South Gate
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
Between 2019/20 and now, 15 of the 67 grew by 5% or more and 32 shrank as much, while Ireland’s pupil numbers moved +5%.
All 67 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 South Gate’s schools
Reports from the Department of Education’s Inspectorate, every school’s linked and none rated
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 75 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 South Gate
Every post-primary school within 10 km of the town; families choose and apply to each, at about twelve
Within 10 km of South Gate there are 36 post-primary schools: 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coláiste Éamann RísVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 811 | 0.3 km |
| Coláiste DaibhéidETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 151 | 0.5 km |
| St Aloysius SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 323 | 0.7 km |
| Coláiste Chríost RíVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 502 | 0.7 km |
| Presentation Brothers CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 692 | 0.9 km |
| Presentation Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 190 | 1.1 km |
| Scoil MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 432 | 1.1 km |
| St. Angela's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 606 | 1.1 km |
| Christ King Girls' Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 700 | 1.2 km |
| Christian Brothers CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 919 | 1.3 km |
| Ashton SchoolComprehensive · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 539 | 1.5 km |
| Cork Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 403 | 1.5 km |
All 36 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Vincent's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 283 | 1.6 km |
| North Monastery Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 271 | 1.7 km |
| Gaelcholáiste MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 690 | 1.9 km |
| St Patricks CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 218 | 2.1 km |
| Nano Nagle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 161 | 2.3 km |
| Regina Mundi CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 2.3 km |
| Terence Mac Swiney Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 302 | 2.4 km |
| Douglas Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Boys | – | 605 | 2.7 km |
| Mount Mercy CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 811 | 3 km |
| Mayfield Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 362 | 3 km |
| Coláiste an Spioraid NaoimhVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 715 | 3.2 km |
| St Aidan's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 309 | 3.2 km |
| Bishopstown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 306 | 3.7 km |
| Ursuline College BlackrockVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 352 | 4 km |
| Nagle Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 315 | 4.9 km |
| Colaiste An PhiarsaighVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, Boarding | 578 | 5.8 km |
| St Francis Capuchin CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 730 | 7.2 km |
| Coláiste ChoilmETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | Irish stream | 1,357 | 7.3 km |
| Scoil Mhuire gan SmalVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 1,124 | 7.4 km |
| Glanmire Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,141 | 7.4 km |
| Ballincollig Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 987 | 8.8 km |
| Le Cheile Secondary School BallincolligVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 254 | 8.9 km |
| Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui LeighinETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 302 | 8.9 km |
| St Peter's Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 354 | 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 South Gate
7 special schools serve the area: St Kevins School, Scoil Aislinn, Scoil Eanna, Cork University Hos School, St Paul's School, School of the Divine Child (Scoil an Linbh Íosa) and St Bernadettes Spec Sch, 399 pupils between them. 34 of the 44 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.
South Gate beside the 96 other Irish towns of 5,000 to 9,700 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donabate | 9,669 | 6 | 2,087 | 1 | 0% | 0.3 km |
| … | ||||||
| Caherdavin | 7,364 | 46 | 16,583 | 5 | 39% | 1 km |
| Temple Bar | 7,276 | 116 | 27,705 | 10 | 51% | 0.5 km |
| Newcastle West | 7,209 | 8 | 2,648 | 1 | 38% | 0.6 km |
| Turner's Cross | 7,208 | 77 | 24,127 | 7 | 44% | 0.3 km |
| South Gate | 7,185 | 75 | 23,775 | 7 | 47% | 0.3 km |
| Dunboyne | 7,155 | 14 | 7,600 | 1 | 7% | 0.3 km |
| Buncrana | 6,971 | 7 | 2,583 | 2 | 43% | 0.6 km |
| Westport | 6,872 | 10 | 2,121 | 1 | 20% | 0.6 km |
| Eyre Square | 6,801 | 36 | 12,413 | 5 | 33% | 1.2 km |
| … | ||||||
| Glounthaune | 5,000 | 32 | 10,210 | 4 | 19% | 3.7 km |
More pupils attend the schools around 21 of the other 96 towns than around South Gate. Within 3 km, 86 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 South Gate
Every school in or within 3 km of the town each September, counted where it stands today.
The schools in and around South Gate had 24,344 pupils in 2015/16 and 23,775 in 2025/26, fewer than before. Coláiste Éamann Rís grew most: +149% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around South Gate
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 South Gate
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Gate | 75 | 23,775 | 7 | 47% | 0.3 km |
| Cork City Centre 0.8 km | 77 | 23,441 | 7 | 48% | 0.5 km |
| Turner's Cross 1.1 km | 77 | 24,127 | 7 | 44% | 0.3 km |
| Shandon 1.2 km | 63 | 19,030 | 5 | 52% | 0.4 km |
| Gillabbey 1.3 km | 72 | 22,124 | 6 | 50% | 0.7 km |
| Knockrea 1.4 km | 84 | 24,668 | 9 | 49% | 0.3 km |
| Sunday's Well 1.4 km | 69 | 20,909 | 6 | 52% | 0.5 km |
Knockrea has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 9. Pupils around South Gate: −1% since 2019/20. Among the neighbours, Knockrea led (+1%) and Sunday's Well trailed (−1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in South Gate 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 South Gate
How many schools are there in South Gate?
In South Gate or within 3 km of it: 44 primary schools, 24 secondary schools and 7 special schools, with 23,775 pupils between them.
Are there schools in South Gate that teach through Irish?
Yes, 7: Coláiste Daibhéid, Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near South Gate?
3 of the 24: Presentation Brothers College, Scoil Mhuire and Christian Brothers College. The others are free.
What is the best school in South Gate?
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 South Gate?
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).