Photo: Cathal · CC BY-SA 2.0St Luke's has 3 fee-paying secondary schools in and around it
The DEIS programme includes 51% of the schools around St Luke's, above both Co. Cork’s towns (35%) and Irish towns (35%). DEIS, the extra support for schools in disadvantaged areas, reaches 36 of its 70 schools; across Ireland, 30%. 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 St Luke's’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 ↓
Extra support for many schools
Many schools here are in DEIS, which gives schools in disadvantaged areas more teachers, money and help; across Ireland, 30% of schools are. In DEIS: Coláiste Éamann Rís (811), Gaelcholáiste Mhuire (690), Scoil Oilibheir (511) and Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal B (403), and 32 more. Who runs them ↓
A wide choice at twelve
37 post-primary schools lie within 10 km, so families here have a real choice at twelve; each admits on its own policy. The nearest: Cork Educate Together Secondary School (0.1 km), Christian Brothers College (0.4 km) and Scoil Mhuire (0.5 km). Post-primary choices ↓
From the Department of Education’s school lists: facts, not judgements of how well a school teaches.
The 70 schools in and around St Luke's
Here are the schools in St Luke's or within 3 km of it, every one with its own page. There are no letters or results on these cards, because Ireland publishes none school by school.
Show all 39 primary schools
Who runs St Luke's’s schools
Ethos as listed for 2025/26: each bar splits the schools by who runs them.
56 of St Luke's’s 70 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Cork & Ross (37), Edmund Rice Schools Trust (4) and CEIST (4). 36 of the 70 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.
Where the 70 schools in and around St Luke's 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 St Luke's’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 St Luke's
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
6 of St Luke's’s 70 schools teach every subject through Irish: Coláiste Daibhéid, Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Alainn and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire.
Who St Luke's’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 St Luke's | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 47% | 18% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 10% | 8% | 6% |
| Girls | 50% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 58% | 33% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 20% | 7% | 6% |
Around St Luke's, 47% of pupils attend a school in DEIS; across Ireland it is 27%, and 18% in Co. Cork. Set beside Ireland, post-primary pupils at single-sex schools stand out most: 58% against 29%. The largest DEIS school here is Coláiste Éamann Rís, with 811 pupils.
Each of the 70 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.
The 18 patrons of St Luke's’s schools
Patrons own the schools and set their ethos; boards of management run them day to day.
The schools around St Luke's answer to 18 patrons, and Bishop of Cork & Ross leads with 37 of the 70 schools and 44% of their pupils. The local Education and Training Board runs 6. Educate Together runs 2.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop of Cork & RossS.N. Naomh Antaine, Scoil Oilibheir, Bunscoil Chriost Ri, Scoil an Athair Tadhg O Murchu, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal B, Scoil Naomh Brid C, S.N. Barra Naofa Cailini, Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Scoil Mhuire agus Eoin, Muire Gan Smal C, North Presentation Primary School, Gaelscoil Peig Sayers, S.N. Barra Naofa Bhuach, Scoil Colmcille, Scoil Padre Pio, 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 Ursula, Scoil Maria Assumpta, St Patricks B, 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 | 37 | 8,945 |
| 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 ETBSt Aidan's, Terence Mac Swiney, Coláiste Daibhéid | Inter-denominational, Multi-denominational | 3 | 762 |
| Bishop of Cork & Ross & COPE FoundationSt Bernadettes Spec Sch, St Paul's School, Scoil Eanna | Catholic | 3 | 290 |
| Bishop of Cork, Cloyne & Ross COIScoil Naomh Micheal, St Lukes Mxd, S.N. Barra Naofa | Church of Ireland | 3 | 273 |
| 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 |
| Educate TogetherCork Educate Together, South Lee Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 2 | 565 |
| 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 |
| Brothers of Charity (Southern Services) Brother John O'SheaCara Junior School | Catholic | 1 | 72 |
| COPE FoundationScoil Aislinn | Other | 1 | 36 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in St Luke's
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
19 schools here have grown by 5% or more since 2019/20, 26 have shrunk by as much, out of 61; across Ireland: +5%.
All 61 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 St Luke's’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 70 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 St Luke's
All post-primaries within 10 km; at about twelve, families choose and apply school by school
Within 10 km of St Luke's there are 37 post-primary schools: 24 voluntary secondary schools, 7 ETB schools, 5 community schools and one comprehensive school. Of these, 14 are single-sex: 8 for girls and 6 for boys. Fees are charged at 3 of them. Every subject is taught through Irish at 4 of them.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cork Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 403 | 0.1 km |
| Christian Brothers CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 919 | 0.4 km |
| Scoil MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 432 | 0.5 km |
| St. Angela's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 606 | 0.6 km |
| St Patricks CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 218 | 0.7 km |
| Coláiste DaibhéidETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 151 | 1.2 km |
| St Vincent's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 283 | 1.2 km |
| Ashton SchoolComprehensive · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 539 | 1.4 km |
| North Monastery Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 271 | 1.4 km |
| Gaelcholáiste MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 690 | 1.5 km |
| Mayfield Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 362 | 1.6 km |
| Coláiste Chríost RíVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 502 | 1.6 km |
All 37 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Aloysius SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 323 | 1.7 km |
| Coláiste Éamann RísVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 811 | 1.7 km |
| Presentation Brothers CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 692 | 1.8 km |
| Nano Nagle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 161 | 1.9 km |
| St Aidan's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 309 | 1.9 km |
| Christ King Girls' Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 700 | 2.2 km |
| Presentation Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 190 | 2.5 km |
| Regina Mundi CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 2.6 km |
| Terence Mac Swiney Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 302 | 2.9 km |
| Douglas Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Boys | – | 605 | 3.1 km |
| Ursuline College BlackrockVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 352 | 3.2 km |
| Mount Mercy CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 811 | 4.1 km |
| Nagle Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 315 | 4.2 km |
| Coláiste an Spioraid NaoimhVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 715 | 4.5 km |
| Colaiste An PhiarsaighVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, Boarding | 578 | 4.6 km |
| Bishopstown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 306 | 4.9 km |
| Glanmire Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,141 | 6.1 km |
| St Francis Capuchin CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 730 | 7 km |
| Scoil Mhuire gan SmalVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 1,124 | 7.5 km |
| Coláiste ChoilmETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | Irish stream | 1,357 | 8.3 km |
| Coláiste an Chroí NaofaVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 461 | 9 km |
| St Peter's Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 354 | 9.4 km |
| Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui LeighinETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 302 | 9.5 km |
| Ballincollig Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 987 | 9.7 km |
| Le Cheile Secondary School BallincolligVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 254 | 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 St Luke's
8 special schools serve the area: Scoil Eanna, St Kevins School, St Paul's School, Scoil Aislinn, St Bernadettes Spec Sch, School of the Divine Child (Scoil an Linbh Íosa), St Killians Spec Sch and Cara Junior School, 560 pupils between them. 32 of the 39 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.
St Luke's beside the 95 other Irish towns of 3,000 to 5,800 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathcoole | 5,792 | 11 | 5,371 | 2 | 9% | 0.5 km |
| … | ||||||
| Glanmire | 4,454 | 27 | 7,395 | 5 | 26% | 0.9 km |
| Tivoli | 4,449 | 76 | 23,233 | 10 | 45% | 1 km |
| Courtown | 4,365 | 1 | 304 | 0 | 100% | 5.4 km |
| Castlegar | 4,315 | 32 | 9,971 | 4 | 34% | 1.3 km |
| St Luke's | 4,278 | 70 | 20,531 | 6 | 51% | 0.1 km |
| Lehenagh | 4,154 | 43 | 14,801 | 4 | 33% | 2.3 km |
| Mervue | 4,126 | 30 | 9,041 | 4 | 37% | 0.9 km |
| Prospect and Newtown Pery | 4,122 | 46 | 15,489 | 5 | 48% | 0.7 km |
| Montenotte | 4,113 | 70 | 20,121 | 8 | 49% | 0.5 km |
| … | ||||||
| Togher | 3,007 | 60 | 20,680 | 6 | 45% | 1 km |
Among the 95 other towns, 14 have more pupils at their schools than St Luke's does. Teaching through Irish is on offer within 3 km in 68 of the 96.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around St Luke's
Every school in or within 3 km of the town each September, counted where it stands today.
The schools in and around St Luke's had 20,389 pupils in 2015/16 and 20,531 in 2025/26. Coláiste Éamann Rís grew most: +149% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around St Luke's
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 St Luke's
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Luke's | 70 | 20,531 | 6 | 51% | 0.1 km |
| Blackpool 0.9 km | 65 | 18,866 | 5 | 52% | 0.6 km |
| Shandon 1 km | 63 | 19,030 | 5 | 52% | 0.4 km |
| Knockrea 1.1 km | 84 | 24,668 | 9 | 49% | 0.3 km |
| Montenotte 1.2 km | 70 | 20,121 | 8 | 49% | 0.5 km |
| Cork City Centre 1.2 km | 77 | 23,441 | 7 | 48% | 0.5 km |
| South Gate 1.5 km | 75 | 23,775 | 7 | 47% | 0.3 km |
Knockrea has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 9. The roll around St Luke's moved +1% since 2019/20; nearby, Knockrea grew most (+1%) and South Gate least (−1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in St Luke's 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 St Luke's
How many schools are there in St Luke's?
In St Luke's or within 3 km of it: 39 primary schools, 23 secondary schools and 8 special schools, with 20,531 pupils between them.
Are there schools in St Luke's that teach through Irish?
Yes, 6: Coláiste Daibhéid, Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Alainn and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near St Luke's?
3 of the 23: Christian Brothers College, Scoil Mhuire and Presentation Brothers College. The others are free.
What is the best school in St Luke's?
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 St Luke's?
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).