Photo: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.02 of the secondary schools in and around Ballyowen charge fees
28% of the post-primary schools around Ballyowen take only girls or only boys, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (39%). Families in Ballyowen have 45 primary schools, 18 secondary schools and 5 special schools within 3 km, teaching 31,032 pupils. With no school results published in Ireland, and the Education Act 1998 restricting comparisons of them, these schools are described, not graded or ranked.
Schools in the town or within 3 km of its outline, Department of Education lists for 2025/26; the Ireland figures cover all schools listed.
What stands out about Ballyowen’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: Castleknock College (771) and The Kings Hospital (732). Every school ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Families here can choose among 75 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: St. Kevin's Community College (1 km), Coláiste Phádraig CBS (1 km) and Coláiste Cois Life (1 km). Post-primary choices ↓
One school growing fast
St. Kevin's Community College has grown from 373 pupils in 2019/20 to 525, the fastest of the schools here. Getting a place ↓
Drawn from the Department of Education’s lists; none of it judges how well a school teaches.
The 68 schools in and around Ballyowen
Here are the schools in Ballyowen or within 3 km of it, every one with its own page. Letters and results are missing here for a reason: Ireland publishes neither school by school.
Show all 45 primary schools
Where the 68 schools in and around Ballyowen 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 Ballyowen’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 Ballyowen
Schools by the language they teach in; the black tick is Ireland’s share.
6 of Ballyowen’s 68 schools teach every subject through Irish: Coláiste Cois Life, Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig and Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada.
Who Ballyowen’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 Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 25% | 28% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 8% | 6% | 6% |
| Girls | 48% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 30% | 38% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 11% | 18% | 6% |
The share of pupils at DEIS schools around Ballyowen, 25%, is close to Ireland’s 27% (Co. Dublin: 28%). Phobailscoil Iosolde, with 764 pupils, is the largest school here in DEIS.
Each of the 68 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 Ballyowen’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
42 of Ballyowen’s 68 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Archbishop of Dublin (35), Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB (14) and Educate Together (4). 22 of the 68 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 16 patrons of Ballyowen’s schools
The patron owns the school and sets its ethos; a board of management runs it day to day.
Of the 68 schools around Ballyowen, 35 have Archbishop of Dublin as patron, teaching 41% of the pupils; 16 patrons in all. Education and Training Boards run 15 of them. Educate Together runs 5.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop of DublinSt Patricks, S.N. Naomh Mochta, Scoil Thomais, Scoil Aine Naofa, St Thomas Junior, Scoil Mhuire, Lucan B, St Marys, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, Sacred Heart, Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcain, St. John the Evangelist, St Ronans, Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig, Scoil Naomh Seosamh, St Ultans, Scoil Bride C, Scoil Lorcain B, Scoil Mhuire, Talbot Senior, St Peter Apostle Sen, Divine Mercy Senior, Scoil Nano Nagle, Scoil Naomh Ide, Neillstown, Scoil Naomh Aine, Gaelscoil na Camoige, Divine Mercy Junior, St Marys Sen, St Bernadettes Senior, St Marys Junior, St Bernadettes Junior, S N Banrion na nAingeal 1, Scoil Mhuire, Bainrion na nAingal 2 | Catholic | 35 | 12,688 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETBCastleknock, Luttrellstown, Adamstown, Lucan, Kishoge, Scoil Choilm Community NS, Collinstown Park, Coláiste Cois Life, Griffeen, St. Kevin's, Deansrath, Coláiste Chilliain, Lucan Community, Ballydowd High Support Special School | Multi-denominational, Inter-denominational | 14 | 9,457 |
| Educate TogetherGriffeen Valley Educate Together NS, Adamstown Castle Educate Together, Lucan East ETNS, Esker Educate Together NS | Multi-denominational | 4 | 1,695 |
| CEISTColáiste Bríde, St Joseph's College | Catholic | 2 | 1,927 |
| Archbishop of Dublin & Bishop of Glendalough COISt Andrews, S.N. Naomh Eoin | Church of Ireland | 2 | 465 |
| Congregation of the Missions (Vincentians)Castleknock College | Catholic | 1 | 771 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Archbishop of DublinPhobailscoil Iosolde | Inter-denominational | 1 | 764 |
| Marist Brothers (Province of West Central Europe)Moyle Park College | Catholic | 1 | 763 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustColáiste Phádraig CBS | Catholic | 1 | 745 |
| Board of Governors of King's HospitalThe Kings Hospital | Church of Ireland | 1 | 732 |
| Lucan Educate Together SchoolLucan Educate Together NS | Multi-denominational | 1 | 384 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaGaelscoil Eiscir Riada | Catholic | 1 | 376 |
| Stewarts Care LtdStewarts School | Multi-denominational | 1 | 145 |
| Central Remedial ClinicScoil Mochua | Catholic | 1 | 69 |
| Health Service ExecutiveLinn Dara Schools | Multi-denominational | 1 | 51 |
| patron not listedLucan Community Special School | Multi-denominational | 1 | 0 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Ballyowen
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 2 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
14 schools here have grown by 5% or more since 2019/20, 29 have shrunk by as much, out of 63; across Ireland: +5%.
All 63 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 Ballyowen’s schools
The Department of Education’s Inspectorate: every school’s reports linked, none rated
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 68 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 Ballyowen
All post-primaries within 10 km; at about twelve, families choose and apply school by school
Families in Ballyowen have 75 post-primary schools within 10 km: 34 voluntary secondary schools, 28 ETB schools and 13 community schools. 19 teach girls and boys apart: 9 girls’ and 10 boys’ schools. Fees are charged at 4 of them. Every subject is taught through Irish at 4 of them.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Kevin's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 525 | 1 km |
| Coláiste Phádraig CBSVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 745 | 1 km |
| Coláiste Cois LifeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 592 | 1 km |
| St Joseph's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 934 | 1.5 km |
| Kishoge Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 937 | 1.7 km |
| Griffeen Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 576 | 1.7 km |
| Collinstown Park Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 630 | 2 km |
| Lucan Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 966 | 2 km |
| The Kings HospitalVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | Fee-paying, Boarding | 732 | 2.4 km |
| Luttrellstown Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,027 | 2.7 km |
| Phobailscoil IosoldeCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 764 | 2.9 km |
| Castleknock Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,318 | 3 km |
All 75 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deansrath Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 425 | 3 km |
| Adamstown Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 981 | 3.2 km |
| Coláiste ChilliainETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 400 | 3.3 km |
| Moyle Park CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 763 | 3.8 km |
| Castleknock CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 771 | 3.9 km |
| Mount Sackville Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 636 | 4.3 km |
| Coláiste BrídeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 993 | 4.3 km |
| St. Seton's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Other | Girls and boys | DEIS | 741 | 4.4 km |
| Scoil Phobail Chuil MhinCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,014 | 4.4 km |
| Eriu Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 193 | 4.5 km |
| Kylemore CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 479 | 4.6 km |
| Hansfield ETSSVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 867 | 4.7 km |
| Hartstown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,120 | 5 km |
| Blakestown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 563 | 5.1 km |
| Coláiste Pobail SetantaETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,079 | 5.2 km |
| Le Cheile Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 944 | 5.3 km |
| Coláiste ChiaráinCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 676 | 5.4 km |
| Edmund Rice CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 912 | 5.4 km |
| Confey Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 934 | 5.7 km |
| Kingswood Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,006 | 5.9 km |
| Rath Dara Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 323 | 6.2 km |
| Meanscoil Iognáid RísVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 521 | 6.5 km |
| Mercy Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 349 | 6.7 km |
| Assumption Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 270 | 6.7 km |
| St Marks Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 931 | 7 km |
| Our Lady Of Mercy Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 289 | 7.1 km |
| St Aidan's Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 561 | 7.2 km |
| Coláiste de hÍdeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 266 | 7.3 km |
| Greenhills CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 186 | 7.5 km |
| Coláiste pobail FólaETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 758 | 7.6 km |
| St Pauls Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 466 | 7.6 km |
| St Dominics CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 790 | 7.8 km |
| New Cross CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 417 | 7.9 km |
| St Declan's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 651 | 8 km |
| Coláiste MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 272 | 8 km |
| St Peter's CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,214 | 8.1 km |
| Mount Seskin Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 350 | 8.1 km |
| Old Bawn Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,024 | 8.3 km |
| Tallaght Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 840 | 8.3 km |
| Rosary CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 250 | 8.3 km |
| Coláiste EoinETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 257 | 8.4 km |
| Loreto CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 320 | 8.5 km |
| Killinarden Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 471 | 8.5 km |
| Cabra Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 264 | 8.6 km |
| Celbridge Community SchoolCommunity school · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 712 | 8.6 km |
| St Mac Dara's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 915 | 8.6 km |
| Salesian CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 880 | 8.7 km |
| Clogher Road Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 297 | 8.8 km |
| C.B.S. James StreetVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 251 | 8.8 km |
| St Michaels Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 646 | 8.8 km |
| Templeogue CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 637 | 8.9 km |
| St Josephs Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 283 | 9.2 km |
| Holy Family Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 998 | 9.2 km |
| St Pauls C.B.S.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 244 | 9.6 km |
| St Wolstan's Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls | – | 846 | 9.6 km |
| Presentation CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 262 | 9.6 km |
| Firhouse Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 825 | 9.6 km |
| Terenure CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 800 | 9.7 km |
| Beneavin De La Salle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 585 | 9.8 km |
| St Vincents C.B.S. GlasnevinVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 408 | 9.8 km |
| Presentation Community CollegeETB · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 443 | 9.9 km |
| Harolds Cross Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 437 | 10 km |
| St Patricks Cathedral Grammar SchoolVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 302 | 10 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Ballyowen
5 special schools serve the area: Ballydowd High Support Special School, Stewarts School, Lucan Community Special School, Linn Dara Schools and Scoil Mochua, 272 pupils between them. 34 of the 45 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.
Ballyowen beside the 80 other Irish towns of 10,300 to 19,900 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crumlin | 19,287 | 124 | 35,375 | 8 | 52% | 0.5 km |
| … | ||||||
| Castletroy | 15,093 | 29 | 10,543 | 3 | 52% | 1.3 km |
| Ballybane | 15,082 | 18 | 6,135 | 2 | 44% | 0.3 km |
| Belmayne | 15,047 | 63 | 17,963 | 5 | 40% | 0.2 km |
| Ashtown | 14,937 | 97 | 28,864 | 8 | 52% | 0.7 km |
| Ballyowen | 14,739 | 68 | 31,032 | 6 | 32% | 1 km |
| Darndale | 14,675 | 85 | 23,703 | 7 | 49% | 1 km |
| Bishopstown | 14,529 | 54 | 18,909 | 6 | 50% | 0.3 km |
| Killarney | 14,412 | 12 | 4,102 | 1 | 8% | 0.8 km |
| Corbally and King's Island | 14,213 | 45 | 15,801 | 6 | 49% | 0.2 km |
| … | ||||||
| Kildare | 10,302 | 4 | 2,671 | 1 | 25% | 1.2 km |
More pupils attend the schools around 26 of the other 80 towns than around Ballyowen. 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 Ballyowen
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 Ballyowen had 30,491 pupils in 2015/16 and 31,032 in 2025/26. Griffeen Community College grew most: +317% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Ballyowen
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 Ballyowen
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballyowen | 68 | 31,032 | 6 | 32% | 1 km |
| Esker 1.5 km | 56 | 23,239 | 6 | 34% | 0.9 km |
| Ronanstown 1.9 km | 76 | 32,256 | 6 | 40% | 0.2 km |
| Lucan 2.3 km | 74 | 34,600 | 5 | 28% | 0.4 km |
| Palmerston 2.6 km | 80 | 33,167 | 7 | 40% | 0.4 km |
| Deansrath 2.8 km | 64 | 26,713 | 6 | 34% | 0.3 km |
| Carpenterstown 3.2 km | 102 | 40,675 | 5 | 40% | 0.3 km |
Palmerston has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 7. Pupils around Ballyowen: −1% since 2019/20. Among the neighbours, Ronanstown led (+1%) and Carpenterstown trailed (−1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Ballyowen 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 Ballyowen
How many schools are there in Ballyowen?
In Ballyowen or within 3 km of it: 45 primary schools, 18 secondary schools and 5 special schools, with 31,032 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Ballyowen that teach through Irish?
Yes, 6: Coláiste Cois Life, Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig and Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Ballyowen?
2 of the 18: The Kings Hospital and Castleknock College. The others are free.
What is the best school in Ballyowen?
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 Ballyowen?
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).