Photo: shaun12246 · CC BY-SA 3.085 schools in and around Darndale: 60 primary schools, 18 secondary schools and 7 special schools
DEIS, the extra support for schools serving disadvantaged areas, reaches 49% of the schools around Darndale, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (35%). They have 23,703 pupils between them, in or within 3 km of Darndale. These schools are described rather than graded, because Ireland publishes no school results and the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them.
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 Darndale’s schools
A wide choice at twelve
Families here can choose among 73 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: Coolock Community College (1 km), Chanel College (1.5 km) and Mercy College Coolock (1.7 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Facts from the Department of Education’s lists; nothing here judges how well a school teaches.
Where the 85 schools in and around Darndale 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 Darndale’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 Darndale
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
7 of Darndale’s 85 schools teach every subject through Irish: Gaelscoil Cholmcille, Scoil Neasain and Gaelcholáiste Reachrann.
Who Darndale’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 Darndale | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 43% | 28% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Girls | 50% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 41% | 38% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 18% | 6% |
DEIS schools teach 43% of the pupils around Darndale, a larger share than Ireland’s 27% (Co. Dublin: 28%). The biggest difference from Ireland is in post-primary pupils at single-sex schools: 41% here, 29% there. Of the DEIS schools here, Trinity Comprehensive School is the biggest: 564 pupils.
Each of the 85 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 Darndale’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
66 of Darndale’s 85 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Archbishop of Dublin (51), Educate Together (6) and City of Dublin ETB (4). 42 of the 85 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 17 patrons of Darndale’s schools
Each school has a patron that owns it and sets its ethos; its board of management runs it.
Of the 85 schools around Darndale, 51 have Archbishop of Dublin as patron, teaching 51% of the pupils; 17 patrons in all. Education and Training Boards run 7 of them. Educate Together runs 6.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop of DublinSt Fiachras Sen, Scoil Fhiachra Soisir, Holy Child, St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Trinity Sen, S.N. Muire agus Iosef, St Brigids Convent, Scoil Bhride, Our Lady of Consolation, St Davids, Mhuire Iosef Junior, Scoil Aine Convent Senior, Naiscoil Ide, Scoil an Leinbh Iosa Boys Seniors, St Josephs, Scoil Assaim Boys Seniors, St Brigids Boys, SN an Spioraid Naiomh C, Scoil Neasain, St Pauls Sen, Holy Spirit B, Gaelscoil Mide, Scoil Naomh Colmcille, St Pauls Junior, St Francis Senior, Our Lady of Victories Infant, S.N. Caitriona Girls, Cromcastle Green B, Our Lady Immac Sen, St John of God, San Nioclas Myra, S.N. Caitriona Naionain, Bantiarna na mBuanna Girls, Bantiarna na mBuanna Boys, St Francis Junior, St Benedicts and St Marys, Scoil an Tseachtar Laoch, St Josephs Senior, Virgin Mary Girls, Darndale N.S. Junior, Scoil Nais Ide Cailini, S N na Maighdine Muire B, Scoil Chiarain, St Kevins Junior, Scoil Eoin, St Josephs Jnr, Scoil Bhreandain, St Malachys B, St Eithnes Senior Girls, St Pauls Hospital Special School, St Monicas | Catholic | 51 | 12,056 |
| Educate TogetherBelmayne Educate Together, Belmayne Educate Together, Malahide / Portmarnock Educate Together, Stapolin Educate Together, North Bay Educate Together NS, Killester Raheny Clontarf Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 6 | 2,097 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustManor House School, Maryfield College, St Marys, Árdscoil La Salle | Catholic | 4 | 1,788 |
| City of Dublin ETBClonturk College, Coolock, Ellenfield, Beaumont Hospital Special School | Multi-denominational, Other | 4 | 1,332 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaGaelscoil Cholmcille, Gaelscoil Bhaile Munna, Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol | Catholic, Multi-denominational | 3 | 457 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustSt. Aidan's C.B.S., St. David's College | Catholic | 2 | 1,275 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETBGrange, Gaelcholáiste Reachrann | Inter-denominational | 2 | 1,006 |
| CEISTOur Lady Of Mercy College, Mercy College Coolock | Catholic | 2 | 809 |
| Archbishop of Dublin & Bishop of Glendalough COIS N na Lanai Glasa, Springdale | Church of Ireland | 2 | 483 |
| St Michael's HouseSt Michael's House Special National School Foxfield, St Michaels Hse Sp Sch | Multi-denominational, Catholic | 2 | 113 |
| Congregation of the Missions (Vincentians)St Pauls College | Catholic | 1 | 650 |
| Minister for EducationTrinity Comprehensive School | Catholic | 1 | 564 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Marist FathersThe Donahies | Inter-denominational | 1 | 488 |
| Marist Education AuthorityChanel College | Catholic | 1 | 451 |
| Central Remedial ClinicCentral Remedial Clinic | Catholic | 1 | 78 |
| 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 Darndale
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
Since 2019/20, 20 of these 75 schools have grown by 5% or more and 38 have shrunk as much; across Ireland the number of pupils changed by +5%.
All 75 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 85 schools in and around Darndale
Each school in or within 3 km of Darndale links to a page of its own. Ireland doesn’t publish results for individual schools, so none of these carries a letter.
Show all 60 primary schools
Inspection reports for Darndale’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 85 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 Darndale
Every post-primary school within 10 km of the town; families choose and apply to each, at about twelve
Families in Darndale have 73 post-primary schools within 10 km: 53 voluntary secondary schools, 13 ETB schools, 5 community schools and 2 comprehensive schools. Of these, 31 are single-sex: 16 for girls and 15 for boys. Fees are charged at 10 of them. Every subject is taught through Irish at 3 of them.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolock Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 205 | 1 km |
| Chanel CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 451 | 1.5 km |
| Mercy College CoolockVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 402 | 1.7 km |
| Belmayne Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 595 | 2 km |
| The Donahies Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 488 | 2 km |
| Árdscoil La SalleVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 289 | 2.4 km |
| St Marys Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 320 | 2.5 km |
| St. David's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 550 | 2.6 km |
| Our Lady Of Mercy CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 407 | 2.6 km |
| Grange Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 553 | 2.8 km |
| Gaelcholáiste ReachrannETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 453 | 2.9 km |
| Manor House SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 652 | 3.1 km |
All 73 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Pauls CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 650 | 3.2 km |
| Ellenfield Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 150 | 3.3 km |
| Maryfield CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 527 | 3.7 km |
| Mount Temple Comprehensive SchoolComprehensive · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 903 | 4 km |
| St. Aidan's C.B.S.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 725 | 4 km |
| Clonturk CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 968 | 4 km |
| Árdscoil RísVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 563 | 4.1 km |
| Trinity Comprehensive SchoolComprehensive · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 564 | 4.3 km |
| Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 799 | 4.5 km |
| Holy Faith Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 647 | 4.6 km |
| Marino CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 297 | 4.6 km |
| Rosmini Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 139 | 4.6 km |
| Pobalscoil NeasáinCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 831 | 4.7 km |
| St Josephs C.B.S.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 310 | 4.7 km |
| St Marys Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 230 | 4.8 km |
| Scoil ChaitrionaVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 523 | 5.1 km |
| Malahide Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,250 | 5.1 km |
| Malahide & Portmarnock Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 696 | 5.2 km |
| Portmarnock Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 955 | 5.3 km |
| St Kevins CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 503 | 5.4 km |
| St. Fintan's High SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 714 | 5.6 km |
| St Mary's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 830 | 5.6 km |
| O'Connell SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 222 | 5.9 km |
| Beneavin De La Salle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 585 | 5.9 km |
| Coláiste ChoilmVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 421 | 5.9 km |
| St Vincents C.B.S. GlasnevinVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 408 | 6.2 km |
| Belvedere College S.JVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 1,011 | 6.6 km |
| Loreto CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 655 | 6.6 km |
| Ringsend CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 191 | 6.6 km |
| Fingal Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 864 | 6.7 km |
| Larkin Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 403 | 6.7 km |
| Santa Sabina Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 754 | 6.8 km |
| St Michaels Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 646 | 6.9 km |
| Mount Carmel Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 386 | 7.1 km |
| Cabra Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 264 | 7.2 km |
| St Finians Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 671 | 7.3 km |
| C.B.S. Westland RowVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 205 | 7.3 km |
| Coláiste EoinETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 257 | 7.4 km |
| St Pauls C.B.S.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 244 | 7.6 km |
| Sutton Park SchoolVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | Fee-paying | 503 | 7.6 km |
| Sandymount Park Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 437 | 7.7 km |
| St Josephs Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 283 | 7.7 km |
| Marian CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 319 | 7.8 km |
| St Declan's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 651 | 7.9 km |
| Coláiste MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 272 | 7.9 km |
| St Dominics CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 790 | 7.9 km |
| Swords Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 952 | 7.9 km |
| Loreto CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 588 | 8.1 km |
| New Cross CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 417 | 8.2 km |
| Catholic University SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 544 | 8.3 km |
| St Patricks Cathedral Grammar SchoolVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | – | 302 | 8.4 km |
| St Conleths CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Fee-paying | 339 | 8.6 km |
| Christian Brothers, Synge St.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 256 | 8.8 km |
| Presentation CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 262 | 8.9 km |
| C.B.S. James StreetVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 251 | 9 km |
| St Michaels CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 731 | 9.2 km |
| Muckross Park CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 709 | 9.3 km |
| St. Mary's College C.S.Sp., RathminesVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 500 | 9.4 km |
| Sandford Park School LtdVoluntary secondary · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | Fee-paying | 437 | 9.5 km |
| The Teresian SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 230 | 9.8 km |
| Gonzaga CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 576 | 10 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Darndale
7 special schools serve the area: Beaumont Hospital Special School, St Pauls Hospital Special School, St Michaels Hse Sp Sch, Belmayne Community Special School, St Michael's House Special National School Foxfield, ABACAS Kilbarrack and Central Remedial Clinic, 310 pupils between them. 35 of the 60 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.
Darndale beside the 80 other Irish towns of 10,300 to 19,800 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crumlin | 19,287 | 124 | 35,375 | 8 | 52% | 0.5 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 |
| Cobh | 14,148 | 13 | 3,613 | 1 | 23% | 0.8 km |
| … | ||||||
| Kildare | 10,302 | 4 | 2,671 | 1 | 25% | 1.2 km |
More pupils attend the schools around 39 of the other 80 towns than around Darndale. 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 Darndale
Every school in or within 3 km of the town each September, counted where it stands today.
The schools in and around Darndale had 23,658 pupils in 2015/16 and 23,703 in 2025/26. Belmayne Educate Together Secondary School grew most: +1,883% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Darndale
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 Darndale
For each nearby town, its schools in or within 3 km of its outline, with straight-line distances.
Kilmore has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 10. The roll around Darndale moved +4% since 2019/20; nearby, Harmonstown grew most (+4%) and Beaumont least (+1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Darndale 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 Darndale
How many schools are there in Darndale?
In Darndale or within 3 km of it: 60 primary schools, 18 secondary schools and 7 special schools, with 23,703 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Darndale that teach through Irish?
Yes, 7: Gaelscoil Cholmcille, Scoil Neasain and Gaelcholáiste Reachrann teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Darndale?
No: all 18 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Darndale?
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 Darndale?
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).