Photo: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0Fewer single-sex secondaries around Balbriggan than around Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 17%
On this, Balbriggan is below both Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (39%). 8,295 pupils go to the 11 primary schools and 6 secondary schools in or within 3 km of Balbriggan. Ireland publishes no school results, and the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them, so these schools are described here, never graded or ranked.
Counted from the Department of Education’s 2025/26 lists: every school in the town or within 3 km of it, against every school in Ireland.
What stands out about Balbriggan’s schools
A choice beyond the church schools
Most schools in Ireland have a church patron; here more of them are multi- or inter-denominational than in most places (14% across Ireland). They are Ardgillan Community College (1,014), Bremore Educate Together Secondary School (824), Balbriggan Community College (686) and Coláiste Ghlór na Mara (520), and 5 more. Who runs them ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Families here can choose among 9 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: Balbriggan Community College (0.3 km), Loreto Secondary School (0.6 km) and Bremore Educate Together Secondary School (0.9 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Facts from the Department of Education’s lists; nothing here judges how well a school teaches.
Who runs Balbriggan’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
7 of Balbriggan’s 17 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Archbishop of Dublin (5), Educate Together (4) and Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB (3). 5 of the 17 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 17 schools in and around Balbriggan 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 Balbriggan’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 Balbriggan
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
2 of Balbriggan’s 17 schools teach every subject through Irish: Coláiste Ghlór na Mara and Gaelscoil Bhaile Brigin.
Who Balbriggan’s schools serve
Shares of the pupils at the area’s schools, beside Co. Dublin’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 Balbriggan | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 25% | 28% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 10% | 6% | 6% |
| Girls | 53% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 27% | 38% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 18% | 6% |
The share of pupils at DEIS schools around Balbriggan, 25%, is close to Ireland’s 27% (Co. Dublin: 28%). Where this area differs most from Ireland is post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools, at 0% against 6%. Balbriggan Community College, with 686 pupils, is the largest school here in DEIS.
Each of the 17 schools
| School | Pupils | Girls | DEIS | All-Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loreto Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 1,220 | 100% | ||
| Ardgillan Community CollegePost-primary · ETB | 1,014 | 38% | ||
| Bremore Educate Together Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 824 | 40% | ||
| Balbriggan Community CollegePost-primary · ETB | 686 | 38% | ✓ | |
| Coláiste Ghlór na MaraPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 520 | 48% | ✓ | |
| Bracken Educate Together NSPrimary | 375 | 47% | ✓ | |
| S N Naomh TeresaPrimary | 364 | 49% | ✓ | |
| Scoil ChormaicPrimary | 362 | 47% | ||
| S.N. Peadar agus Pol NPrimary | 357 | 52% | ||
| Balbriggan Educate Together NSPrimary | 356 | 45% | ✓ | |
| St Georges N.S.Primary | 339 | 49% | ||
| Gaelscoil Bhaile BriginPrimary | 306 | 54% | ✓ | |
| St Molaga Senior N.S.Primary | 422 | 50% | ||
| Blessed Oliver N.S.Primary | 298 | 46% | ||
| Balscadden N.S.Primary | 198 | 50% | ||
| Franciscan CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 321 | 42% | ||
| Skerries Educate Together National SchoolPrimary | 333 | 42% | ✓ |
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 7 patrons of Balbriggan’s schools
Patrons own the schools and set their ethos; boards of management run them day to day.
The schools around Balbriggan answer to 7 patrons, and Archbishop of Dublin leads with 5 of the 17 schools and 20% of their pupils. The local Education and Training Board runs 3. Educate Together runs 4.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop of DublinSt Molaga Senior, S N Naomh Teresa, S.N. Peadar agus Pol N, Blessed Oliver, Balscadden | Catholic | 5 | 1,639 |
| Educate TogetherBremore Educate Together, Bracken Educate Together NS, Balbriggan Educate Together NS, Skerries Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 4 | 1,888 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETBArdgillan, Balbriggan, Scoil Chormaic | Multi-denominational, Inter-denominational | 3 | 2,062 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaColáiste Ghlór na Mara, Gaelscoil Bhaile Brigin | Multi-denominational, Inter-denominational | 2 | 826 |
| Loreto Education TrustLoreto | Catholic | 1 | 1,220 |
| Archbishop of Dublin & Bishop of Glendalough COISt Georges | Church of Ireland | 1 | 339 |
| Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan Fathers) Irish ProvinceFranciscan College | Catholic | 1 | 321 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Balbriggan
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
4 schools here have grown by 5% or more since 2019/20, 12 have shrunk by as much, out of 17; across Ireland: +5%.
All 17 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.
The 17 schools in and around Balbriggan
Every school in Balbriggan or within 3 km of its outline, each linked to its own page. There are no letters or results on these cards, because Ireland publishes none school by school.
Inspection reports for Balbriggan’s schools
The Inspectorate’s published reports for each school, linked, without ratings
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 17 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 Balbriggan
All post-primaries within 10 km; at about twelve, families choose and apply school by school
Families in Balbriggan have 9 post-primary schools within 10 km: 5 ETB schools and 4 voluntary secondary schools. Only one teaches girls and boys apart. Just one teaches every subject through Irish.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balbriggan Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 686 | 0.3 km |
| Loreto Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 1,220 | 0.6 km |
| Bremore Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 824 | 0.9 km |
| Coláiste Ghlór na MaraVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 520 | 1 km |
| Ardgillan Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,014 | 1.3 km |
| Franciscan CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 321 | 3.9 km |
| Skerries Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,025 | 6.1 km |
| Lusk Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,104 | 9.2 km |
| Colaiste na hInseETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,021 | 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 Balbriggan
No special school is in or near Balbriggan. 7 of the 11 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.
Balbriggan beside the 45 other Irish towns of 17,000 to 32,800 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ennis | 27,923 | 18 | 7,595 | 1 | 33% | 0.3 km |
| … | ||||||
| Naas | 26,180 | 15 | 8,304 | 2 | 7% | 0.1 km |
| Tralee | 26,079 | 18 | 6,726 | 2 | 39% | 0.6 km |
| Blanchardstown | 24,613 | 91 | 36,302 | 5 | 44% | 0.7 km |
| Newbridge | 24,366 | 18 | 7,450 | 1 | 33% | 0.4 km |
| Balbriggan | 24,322 | 17 | 8,295 | 2 | 29% | 0.3 km |
| Portlaoise | 23,494 | 13 | 6,518 | 1 | 15% | 0.6 km |
| Jobstown | 23,437 | 53 | 19,772 | 5 | 45% | 0.1 km |
| Lucan | 23,033 | 74 | 34,600 | 5 | 28% | 0.4 km |
| Athlone | 22,869 | 17 | 6,365 | 1 | 35% | 1.1 km |
| … | ||||||
| Maynooth | 17,259 | 12 | 6,742 | 3 | 0% | 0.3 km |
Among the 45 other towns, 30 have more pupils at their schools than Balbriggan does. Every one of them has an all-Irish school within 3 km.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Balbriggan
Every school in or within 3 km of the town each September, counted where it stands today.
The schools in and around Balbriggan had 7,175 pupils in 2015/16 and 8,295 in 2025/26. Bremore Educate Together Secondary School grew most: +124% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Balbriggan
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 Balbriggan
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km of its outline; distances as the crow flies.
| Town | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balbriggan | 17 | 8,295 | 2 | 29% | 0.3 km |
| Balrothery 2.7 km | 16 | 7,860 | 2 | 31% | 1.7 km |
| Stamullen 5.4 km | 3 | 1,043 | 0 | 0% | 2.1 km |
| Skerries 6.1 km | 14 | 4,988 | 1 | 21% | 0.2 km |
| Lusk 9.6 km | 11 | 4,510 | 1 | 0% | 0.9 km |
| Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney 11 km | 11 | 5,783 | 1 | 0% | 1.4 km |
| Rush 11 km | 13 | 5,851 | 2 | 8% | 0.7 km |
The roll around Balbriggan moved −1% since 2019/20; nearby, Rush grew most (+7%) and Stamullen least (−20%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Balbriggan 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 Balbriggan
How many schools are there in Balbriggan?
In Balbriggan or within 3 km of it: 11 primary schools and 6 secondary schools, with 8,295 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Balbriggan that teach through Irish?
Yes, 2: Coláiste Ghlór na Mara and Gaelscoil Bhaile Brigin teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Balbriggan?
No: all 6 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Balbriggan?
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 Balbriggan?
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).