Photo: P L Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0Most post-primaries around Fettercairn take girls and boys: 19% are single-sex, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
Measured that way, Fettercairn is below both Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (39%). 25,995 pupils go to the 51 primary schools, 16 secondary schools and 5 special schools in or within 3 km of Fettercairn. 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 Fettercairn’s schools
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: St Marks Community School (931), Tallaght Community School (840), St Aidan's Community School (561) and St Marks Sen N.S. (497), and 32 more. Who runs them ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Families here can choose among 62 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 Aidan's Community School (0.6 km), St Marks Community School (1.2 km) and Mount Seskin Community College (1.3 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Facts from the Department of Education’s lists; nothing here judges how well a school teaches.
Who runs Fettercairn’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
50 of Fettercairn’s 72 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Archbishop of Dublin (45), Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB (11) and Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Archbishop of Dublin (3). 36 of the 72 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 72 schools in and around Fettercairn 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 Fettercairn’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 Fettercairn
Schools by the language they teach in; the black tick is Ireland’s share.
8 of Fettercairn’s 72 schools teach every subject through Irish: Gaelscoil Lir, Gaelscoil na Camoige and Scoil Chaitlin Maude.
Who Fettercairn’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 Fettercairn | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 46% | 28% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 9% | 6% | 6% |
| Girls | 50% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 22% | 38% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 18% | 6% |
DEIS schools teach 46% of the pupils around Fettercairn, a larger share than Ireland’s 27% (Co. Dublin: 28%). Set beside Ireland, post-primary pupils at single-sex schools stand out most: 22% against 29%. The largest DEIS school here is St Marks Community School, with 931 pupils.
Each of the 72 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 14 patrons of Fettercairn’s schools
The patron owns the school and sets its ethos; a board of management runs it day to day.
Archbishop of Dublin is patron of 45 of the 72 schools around Fettercairn, which teach 53% of their pupils; 14 patrons run them in all. The local Education and Training Board runs 16. Educate Together runs 2.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop of DublinHoly Family, S.N. Naomh Mhuire, St Marks Sen, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, Sacred Heart, St Marks Junior Mixed, Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcain, St Dominic's, St Ronans, Scoil Maelruain Senior, St Martin de Porres, Belgard Heights, Scoil Maelruain Junior, Scoil Naomh Seosamh, St Ultans, Scoil Chronain, St Marys School, St Thomas Senior, Scoil Carmel, St Annes Primary School, St Thomas Junior, St Kilians Senior, Scoil Mhuire, Talbot Senior, St Kilians Junior School, St Peter Apostle Sen, St Kevins Boys, Scoil Santain, Scoil Nano Nagle, St Kevins Girls, Scoil Naomh Ide, St Aidans, Neillstown, Scoil Naomh Aine, Gaelscoil na Camoige, S N an Croi Ro Naofa, S.N. Aenghusa, St Brigids, An Chroi Ro Naofa Sois, Scoil Aenghusa Jun, Scoil Cnoc Mhuire Sin, Scoil Cnoc Mhuire Junior, Scoil Iosa, St Josephs Special Sch, St Roses Special School | Catholic | 45 | 13,796 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETBKingswood, Firhouse, Coláiste pobail Fóla, Deansrath, Citywest & Saggart Community, Coláiste Chilliain, Mount Seskin, Scoil Aoife CNS, Coláiste de hÍde, Greenhills College, Tallaght Community | Multi-denominational, Inter-denominational | 11 | 5,122 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Archbishop of DublinSt Marks, St Aidan's, Killinarden | Inter-denominational | 3 | 1,963 |
| Educate TogetherCity West Educate Together, Rathcoole ETNS | Multi-denominational | 2 | 490 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaScoil Chaitlin Maude, Gaelscoil Lir | Multi-denominational | 2 | 337 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Dominican FathersOld Bawn | Inter-denominational | 1 | 1,024 |
| CEISTColáiste Bríde | Catholic | 1 | 993 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Marist BrothersTallaght | Inter-denominational | 1 | 840 |
| Marist Brothers (Province of West Central Europe)Moyle Park College | Catholic | 1 | 763 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustSt Pauls | Catholic | 1 | 466 |
| Archbishop of Dublin & Bishop of Glendalough COIS.N. Naomh Eoin | Church of Ireland | 1 | 91 |
| Central Remedial ClinicScoil Mochua | Catholic | 1 | 69 |
| Irish Autism ActionABACAS Special School for Children with Autism | Multi-denominational | 1 | 30 |
| Archbishop of Dublin & Bishop of GlendalouoghThe Adelaide and Meath Hospital | Catholic | 1 | 11 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Fettercairn
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
12 schools here have grown by 5% or more since 2019/20, 36 have shrunk by as much, out of 64; across Ireland: +5%.
All 64 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 72 schools in and around Fettercairn
Each school in or within 3 km of Fettercairn links to a page of its own. Results by school aren’t published in Ireland, so the cards carry none.
Show all 51 primary schools
Inspection reports for Fettercairn’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 72 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 Fettercairn
Post-primary schools within 10 km of the town; children move at about twelve, and families apply to each school
Families in Fettercairn have 62 post-primary schools within 10 km: 32 voluntary secondary schools, 21 ETB schools and 9 community schools. Of these, 18 are single-sex: 10 for girls and 8 for boys. Fees are charged at 9 of them. Every subject is taught through Irish at 4 of them.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Aidan's Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 561 | 0.6 km |
| St Marks Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 931 | 1.2 km |
| Mount Seskin Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 350 | 1.3 km |
| Killinarden Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 471 | 1.7 km |
| Coláiste pobail FólaETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 758 | 2.2 km |
| Old Bawn Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,024 | 2.5 km |
| Kingswood Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,006 | 2.9 km |
| Coláiste BrídeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 993 | 3.2 km |
| Moyle Park CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 763 | 3.4 km |
| Coláiste ChilliainETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 400 | 3.7 km |
| Deansrath Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 425 | 3.9 km |
| Coláiste de hÍdeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 266 | 4 km |
All 62 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firhouse Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 825 | 4.1 km |
| Tallaght Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 840 | 4.5 km |
| Greenhills CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 186 | 5.1 km |
| Holy Family Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 998 | 5.1 km |
| Kishoge Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 937 | 5.3 km |
| Griffeen Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 576 | 5.3 km |
| St Mac Dara's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 915 | 5.3 km |
| St Pauls Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 466 | 5.3 km |
| Firhouse Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 411 | 5.5 km |
| Collinstown Park Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 630 | 5.7 km |
| Assumption Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 270 | 6.1 km |
| Meanscoil Iognáid RísVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 521 | 6.1 km |
| St. Colmcille's Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 727 | 6.2 km |
| Adamstown Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 981 | 6.4 km |
| Templeogue CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 637 | 6.4 km |
| Phobailscoil IosoldeCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 764 | 6.8 km |
| Sancta Maria CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 577 | 6.8 km |
| Coláiste Cois LifeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 592 | 6.9 km |
| St. Seton's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Other | Girls and boys | DEIS | 741 | 7 km |
| St. Kevin's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 525 | 7 km |
| Lucan Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 966 | 7 km |
| Kylemore CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 479 | 7.1 km |
| Coláiste ÉannaVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 618 | 7.1 km |
| Rosary CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 250 | 7.3 km |
| Our Lady Of Mercy Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 289 | 7.3 km |
| Our Ladys SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 799 | 7.4 km |
| Terenure CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 800 | 7.4 km |
| Coláiste Phádraig CBSVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 745 | 7.6 km |
| Mercy Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 349 | 7.6 km |
| Rockbrook Park SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 186 | 7.7 km |
| The Kings HospitalVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | Fee-paying, Boarding | 732 | 7.7 km |
| St Joseph's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 934 | 7.9 km |
| Loreto High SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 625 | 8.1 km |
| Presentation Community CollegeETB · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 443 | 8.3 km |
| Mount Sackville Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 636 | 8.4 km |
| Gaelcholáiste an PhiarsaighVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 296 | 8.4 km |
| Loreto CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 320 | 8.4 km |
| Clogher Road Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 297 | 8.5 km |
| The High SchoolVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | Fee-paying | 811 | 9 km |
| Stratford CollegeVoluntary secondary · Jewish | Girls and boys | Fee-paying | 189 | 9 km |
| Castleknock CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 771 | 9 km |
| Castleknock Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,318 | 9.1 km |
| Harolds Cross Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 437 | 9.3 km |
| Luttrellstown Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,027 | 9.4 km |
| De La Salle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 463 | 9.5 km |
| St Columba's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | Fee-paying, Boarding | 357 | 9.5 km |
| C.B.S. James StreetVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 251 | 9.5 km |
| St Louis High SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 690 | 9.7 km |
| Ballinteer Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 415 | 9.7 km |
| Presentation CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 262 | 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 Fettercairn
5 special schools serve the area: The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, ABACAS Special School for Children with Autism, Scoil Mochua, St Roses Special School and St Josephs Special Sch, 259 pupils between them. 38 of the 51 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.
Fettercairn beside the 81 other Irish towns of 9,100 to 17,500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maynooth | 17,259 | 12 | 6,742 | 3 | 0% | 0.3 km |
| … | ||||||
| Arklow | 13,399 | 9 | 3,343 | 2 | 33% | 0.3 km |
| Ongar | 13,390 | 42 | 22,425 | 3 | 21% | 0.3 km |
| Sallynoggin | 13,245 | 51 | 15,036 | 2 | 24% | 0.6 km |
| Castlebar | 13,054 | 12 | 4,272 | 1 | 17% | 0.3 km |
| Fettercairn | 12,970 | 72 | 25,995 | 8 | 50% | 0.6 km |
| Wicklow | 12,957 | 11 | 4,543 | 1 | 36% | 0.6 km |
| Hollystown | 12,884 | 68 | 22,939 | 3 | 50% | 1.9 km |
| Blackrock | 12,816 | 66 | 25,764 | 6 | 11% | 0.8 km |
| Ballsbridge | 12,743 | 116 | 31,567 | 9 | 42% | 0.7 km |
| … | ||||||
| Portarlington | 9,288 | 5 | 2,657 | 0 | 0% | 1.3 km |
Of these 81 other towns, 31 count more pupils at their schools than Fettercairn. Teaching through Irish is on offer within 3 km in 81 of the 82.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Fettercairn
Every school in or within 3 km of the town each September, counted where it stands today.
The schools in and around Fettercairn had 25,471 pupils in 2015/16 and 25,995 in 2025/26. Tallaght Community National School grew most: +94% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Fettercairn
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 Fettercairn
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fettercairn | 72 | 25,995 | 8 | 50% | 0.6 km |
| Jobstown 1.2 km | 53 | 19,772 | 5 | 45% | 0.1 km |
| Tallaght 2.1 km | 85 | 30,738 | 9 | 42% | 0.8 km |
| Saggart 2.9 km | 23 | 9,161 | 3 | 61% | 0.7 km |
| Old Bawn 3.1 km | 73 | 26,840 | 5 | 43% | 0.7 km |
| Clondalkin 3.4 km | 120 | 39,367 | 6 | 54% | 0.2 km |
| Kilnamanagh 3.8 km | 112 | 38,733 | 8 | 48% | 0.4 km |
Tallaght has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 9. Pupils around Fettercairn: +2% since 2019/20. Among the neighbours, Saggart led (+10%) and Kilnamanagh trailed (−1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Fettercairn 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 Fettercairn
How many schools are there in Fettercairn?
In Fettercairn or within 3 km of it: 51 primary schools, 16 secondary schools and 5 special schools, with 25,995 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Fettercairn that teach through Irish?
Yes, 8: Gaelscoil Lir, Gaelscoil na Camoige and Scoil Chaitlin Maude teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Fettercairn?
No: all 16 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Fettercairn?
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 Fettercairn?
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).