Photo: ClongriffinClongriffin · Public domainMost post-primaries around Clongriffin take girls and boys: 25% are single-sex, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
On this, Clongriffin is below both Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (39%). In or within 3 km of Clongriffin, they have 15,799 pupils in all. These schools are described rather than graded, because Ireland publishes no school results and the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them.
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 Clongriffin’s schools
One school growing fast
Grange Community College has grown from 280 pupils in 2019/20 to 553, the fastest of the schools here. Getting a place ↓
A wide choice at twelve
55 post-primary schools lie within 10 km, so families here have a real choice at twelve; each admits on its own policy. The nearest: Grange Community College (0.3 km), Gaelcholáiste Reachrann (0.3 km) and Belmayne Educate Together Secondary School (1.1 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Drawn from the Department of Education’s lists; none of it judges how well a school teaches.
Where the 53 schools in and around Clongriffin 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 Clongriffin’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 Clongriffin
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
4 of Clongriffin’s 53 schools teach every subject through Irish: Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol and Gaelscoil Mide.
Who Clongriffin’s schools serve
How the area’s pupils divide, against 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 Clongriffin | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 30% | 28% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Girls | 50% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 27% | 38% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 18% | 6% |
DEIS schools teach 30% of the pupils around Clongriffin, much as across Ireland (27%; Co. Dublin: 28%). The biggest difference from Ireland is in post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools: 0% here, 6% there. Of the DEIS schools here, Grange Community College is the biggest: 553 pupils.
Each of the 53 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 Clongriffin’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
37 of Clongriffin’s 53 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Archbishop of Dublin (30), Educate Together (5) and St Michael's House (3). 19 of the 53 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 Clongriffin’s schools
Each school has a patron that owns it and sets its ethos; its board of management runs it.
The schools around Clongriffin answer to 16 patrons, and Archbishop of Dublin leads with 30 of the 53 schools and 47% of their pupils. 5 are ETB schools. Educate Together runs 5.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop of DublinScoil Naomh Mearnog, St. Francis of Assisi, St Laurence's, Holy Trinity Sen, S.N. Muire agus Iosef, Scoil Bhride, Mhuire Iosef Junior, Scoil Aine Convent Senior, Naiscoil Ide, St Josephs, Scoil Assaim Boys Seniors, Scoil Neasain, St Pauls Sen, Gaelscoil Mide, Scoil Naomh Colmcille, St Pauls Junior, St Francis Senior, S.N. Caitriona Girls, Our Lady Immac Sen, San Nioclas Myra, S.N. Caitriona Naionain, St Benedicts and St Marys, St Francis Junior, Darndale N.S. Junior, St Kevins Junior, Scoil Eoin, Scoil Bhreandain, St Malachys B, St Eithnes Senior Girls, St Monicas | Catholic | 30 | 7,353 |
| Educate TogetherBelmayne Educate Together, Belmayne Educate Together, Malahide / Portmarnock Educate Together, Stapolin Educate Together, North Bay Educate Together NS | Multi-denominational | 5 | 1,921 |
| St Michael's HouseSt Michael's House Special National School Foxfield, St Michaels House Special School, St Michaels Hse Sp Sch | Multi-denominational, Catholic | 3 | 169 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETBGrange, Gaelcholáiste Reachrann | Inter-denominational | 2 | 1,006 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustManor House School, Árdscoil La Salle | Catholic | 2 | 941 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Archbishop of DublinPortmarnock | Inter-denominational | 1 | 955 |
| City of Dublin ETB & Congregation of Christian BrothersPobalscoil Neasáin | Inter-denominational | 1 | 831 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustSt. Fintan's High School | Catholic | 1 | 714 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Marist FathersThe Donahies | Inter-denominational | 1 | 488 |
| Marist Education AuthorityChanel College | Catholic | 1 | 451 |
| CEISTMercy College Coolock | Catholic | 1 | 402 |
| Religious Sisters of CharitySt Marys | Catholic | 1 | 230 |
| Archbishop of Dublin & Bishop of Glendalough COISpringdale | Church of Ireland | 1 | 198 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaGaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol | Multi-denominational | 1 | 84 |
| Irish Autism ActionABACAS Kilbarrack | Multi-denominational | 1 | 54 |
| patron not listedBelmayne Community Special School | Multi-denominational | 1 | 2 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Clongriffin
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
Of these 46 schools, 6 have grown by at least 5% since 2019/20 and 25 have lost as much; Ireland’s pupils changed by +5%.
All 46 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 53 schools in and around Clongriffin
Here are the schools in Clongriffin or within 3 km of it, every one with its own page. Ireland doesn’t publish results for individual schools, so none of these carries a letter.
Show all 36 primary schools
Inspection reports for Clongriffin’s schools
Reports from the Department of Education’s Inspectorate, every school’s linked and 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 53 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 Clongriffin
Every post-primary school within 10 km of the town; families choose and apply to each, at about twelve
Families in Clongriffin have 55 post-primary schools within 10 km: 36 voluntary secondary schools, 12 ETB schools, 5 community schools and 2 comprehensive schools. Of these, 22 are single-sex: 13 for girls and 9 for boys. Fees are charged at 3 of them. Every subject is taught through Irish at 2 of them.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grange Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 553 | 0.3 km |
| Gaelcholáiste ReachrannETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 453 | 0.3 km |
| Belmayne Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 595 | 1.1 km |
| The Donahies Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 488 | 1.6 km |
| Árdscoil La SalleVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 289 | 1.8 km |
| St Marys Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 230 | 1.9 km |
| Pobalscoil NeasáinCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 831 | 1.9 km |
| St. Fintan's High SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 714 | 2.8 km |
| Manor House SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 652 | 2.9 km |
| Portmarnock Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 955 | 3.4 km |
| Mercy College CoolockVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 402 | 3.4 km |
| Chanel CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 451 | 3.7 km |
All 55 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Sabina Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 754 | 3.9 km |
| Coolock Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 205 | 4 km |
| Malahide Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,250 | 4 km |
| St Marys Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 320 | 4.1 km |
| St Pauls CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 650 | 4.2 km |
| St. David's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 550 | 4.8 km |
| Sutton Park SchoolVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | Fee-paying | 503 | 5 km |
| Our Lady Of Mercy CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 407 | 5.4 km |
| Holy Faith Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 647 | 5.5 km |
| Malahide & Portmarnock Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 696 | 5.8 km |
| Mount Temple Comprehensive SchoolComprehensive · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 903 | 5.9 km |
| Ellenfield Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 150 | 6.1 km |
| Maryfield CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 527 | 6.1 km |
| Árdscoil RísVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 563 | 6.1 km |
| Marino CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 297 | 6.6 km |
| Clonturk CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 968 | 6.7 km |
| St Josephs C.B.S.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 310 | 6.8 km |
| St. Aidan's C.B.S.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 725 | 6.8 km |
| Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 799 | 7 km |
| Rosmini Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 139 | 7.1 km |
| Trinity Comprehensive SchoolComprehensive · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 564 | 7.3 km |
| Coláiste ChoilmVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 421 | 7.3 km |
| Fingal Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 864 | 7.7 km |
| Scoil ChaitrionaVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 523 | 7.8 km |
| Ringsend CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 191 | 8 km |
| O'Connell SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 222 | 8.1 km |
| Loreto CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 655 | 8.4 km |
| St Kevins CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 503 | 8.4 km |
| St Mary's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 830 | 8.4 km |
| St Finians Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 671 | 8.4 km |
| Sandymount Park Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 437 | 8.6 km |
| Larkin Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 403 | 8.8 km |
| Belvedere College S.JVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 1,011 | 8.9 km |
| St Vincents C.B.S. GlasnevinVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 408 | 8.9 km |
| Beneavin De La Salle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 585 | 8.9 km |
| Marian CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 319 | 9.1 km |
| C.B.S. Westland RowVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 205 | 9.1 km |
| Mount Carmel Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 386 | 9.4 km |
| Swords Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 952 | 9.5 km |
| Donabate Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 799 | 9.8 km |
| St Pauls C.B.S.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 244 | 9.9 km |
| St Michaels Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 646 | 9.9 km |
| Loreto CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 588 | 9.9 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Clongriffin
5 special schools serve the area: Belmayne Community Special School, ABACAS Kilbarrack, St Michael's House Special National School Foxfield, St Michaels Hse Sp Sch and St Michaels House Special School, 225 pupils between them. 18 of the 36 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.
Clongriffin beside the 99 other Irish towns of 5,200 to 10,000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nenagh | 9,895 | 11 | 3,044 | 1 | 0% | 0.1 km |
| … | ||||||
| Frankfield and Grange | 7,687 | 58 | 20,798 | 6 | 24% | 2 km |
| Perrystown | 7,581 | 94 | 30,259 | 5 | 37% | 0.8 km |
| Kinsealy-Drinan | 7,526 | 22 | 11,271 | 1 | 5% | 0.7 km |
| Walkinstown | 7,442 | 91 | 27,293 | 3 | 51% | 0.2 km |
| Clongriffin | 7,438 | 53 | 15,799 | 4 | 36% | 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 |
| … | ||||||
| Ballybeg | 5,226 | 32 | 12,349 | 1 | 41% | 1.1 km |
Among the 99 other towns, 44 have more pupils at their schools than Clongriffin does. An all-Irish school is within 3 km of 90 of the 100.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Clongriffin
Every school in or within 3 km of the town each September, counted where it stands today.
The schools in and around Clongriffin had 14,550 pupils in 2015/16 and 15,799 in 2025/26. Belmayne Educate Together Secondary School grew most: +1,883% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Clongriffin
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 Clongriffin
Schools in or within 3 km of each neighbouring town; distances in a straight line.
Belmayne has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 5. Of Clongriffin’s neighbours, Baldoyle saw the most growth in pupils since 2019/20 (+6%) and Donaghmede the least (+2%); Clongriffin itself: +4%.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Clongriffin 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 Clongriffin
How many schools are there in Clongriffin?
In Clongriffin or within 3 km of it: 36 primary schools, 12 secondary schools and 5 special schools, with 15,799 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Clongriffin that teach through Irish?
Yes, 4: Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol and Gaelscoil Mide teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Clongriffin?
No: all 12 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Clongriffin?
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 Clongriffin?
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).