Photo: TeaTimeJ · CC BY-SA 4.0The schools around Hollystown have fewer pupils than in 2019/20: −3%, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
That leaves Hollystown below both Co. Dublin’s towns (+4%) and Irish towns (+4%). Families in Hollystown have 51 primary schools, 12 secondary schools and 5 special schools within 3 km, teaching 22,939 pupils. 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 Hollystown’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 Michaels Secondary School (646), Beneavin De La Salle College (585), Blakestown Community School (563) and St Kevins College (503), and 30 more. Who runs them ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Families here can choose among 47 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: Rath Dara Community College (1.8 km), Blakestown Community School (2.8 km) and Hartstown Community School (3.3 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Drawn from the Department of Education’s lists; none of it judges how well a school teaches.
Who runs Hollystown’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
53 of Hollystown’s 68 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Archbishop of Dublin (42), Educate Together (4) and Le Chéile Schools Trust (4). 34 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.
Where the 68 schools in and around Hollystown 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 Hollystown’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 Hollystown
Schools by the language they teach in; the black tick is Ireland’s share.
3 of Hollystown’s 68 schools teach every subject through Irish: Gaelscoil an Chuilinn, Gaelscoil Ui Earcain and S.N. Oilibheir.
Who Hollystown’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 Hollystown | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 39% | 28% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 3% | 6% | 6% |
| Girls | 49% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 31% | 38% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 18% | 6% |
39% of the pupils around Hollystown are at a DEIS school, more than the 27% across Ireland (28% in Co. Dublin). The biggest difference from Ireland is in post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools: 0% here, 6% there. Of the DEIS schools here, St Michaels Secondary School is the biggest: 646 pupils.
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.
The 17 patrons of Hollystown’s schools
The patron owns the school and sets its ethos; a board of management runs it day to day.
17 patrons run the 68 schools around Hollystown; the largest, Archbishop of Dublin, has 42 of them and 51% of the pupils. 6 are ETB schools. Educate Together runs 4.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop of DublinSt Brigids Mxd, Sacred Heart, Scoil Thomais, Scoil Naomh Lucais, St Ciarans, Mother of Divine Grace, St Canices G, Ladyswell, Mary Mother of Hope Senior NS, St Francis Xavier Senior, St Francis Xavier J, St Canices B, Mary, Help of Christians G., Mary Mother of Hope Junior, S.N. Eoin Bosco Buach, S N Naomh Finnin, S.N. Oilibheir, SN an Spioraid Naiomh C, St Philips Senior, Holy Spirit B, Scoil Bride C, Scoil Mhuire Sin, Scoil Bride B, St Patricks Senior School, St Philip the Apostle Junior, S N Naomh Feargal Boys Senior, Scoil Nais Mhuire Sois, St. Patrick's Junior NS, St Josephs Senior, Dominican Convent Girls Senior School, St Josephs G, S.N. Eoin Bosco Nai Buac, St Brigids Infant, St Catherines Infant School, St Josephs Jnr, St Brigids Senior Girls, St Kevins B, St Malachys, St Oliver Plunkett, St Margarets, St Vincents Home NS, Casa Caterina S S | Catholic | 42 | 11,587 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustLe Cheile, St Dominics College, St Michaels, Beneavin De La Salle College | Catholic | 4 | 2,965 |
| Educate TogetherTyrrelstown Educate Together, Pelletstown ETNS, Castleknock Educate Together NS, Powerstown Educate Together | Multi-denominational | 4 | 1,619 |
| Edmund Rice Schools TrustEdmund Rice College, St Kevins College | Catholic | 2 | 1,415 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaGaelscoil an Chuilinn, Gaelscoil Ui Earcain | Inter-denominational, Catholic | 2 | 530 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETBRath Dara, Danu Community Special School | Inter-denominational, Multi-denominational | 2 | 366 |
| Archbishop of Dublin & Bishop of Glendalough COIScoil Naisunta Chnuacha, Finglas Parochial | Church of Ireland | 2 | 292 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Archbishop of DublinHartstown | Inter-denominational | 1 | 1,120 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Congregation of the Missions (Vincentians)Scoil Phobail Chuil Mhin | Inter-denominational | 1 | 1,014 |
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB & Sisters of St LouisBlakestown | Inter-denominational | 1 | 563 |
| Le Chéile Schools Trust & Religious Sisters of CharityNew Cross College | Catholic | 1 | 417 |
| Islamic Foundation of IrelandNorth Dublin Muslim | Muslim | 1 | 391 |
| Bishop of MeathKilbride | Catholic | 1 | 310 |
| City of Dublin ETBColáiste Eoin | Multi-denominational | 1 | 257 |
| Scoil Sinéad Company Limited by GuaranteeScoil Sinead NS | Multi-denominational | 1 | 62 |
| Health Service ExecutivePhoenix Park Specialist School | Catholic | 1 | 17 |
| CrosscareYouth Encounter Project | Catholic | 1 | 14 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Hollystown
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
16 schools here have grown by 5% or more since 2019/20, 36 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.
The 68 schools in and around Hollystown
Here are the schools in Hollystown or within 3 km of it, every one with its own page. Without school-level results from Ireland, the cards show no letters.
Show all 51 primary schools
Inspection reports for Hollystown’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 Hollystown
Every post-primary school within 10 km of the town; families choose and apply to each, at about twelve
47 post-primary schools are within 10 km of Hollystown: 23 voluntary secondary schools, 17 ETB schools, 6 community schools and one comprehensive school. Of these, 13 are single-sex: 6 for girls and 7 for boys. Fees are charged at 3 of them. Every subject is taught through Irish at 3 of them.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rath Dara Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 323 | 1.8 km |
| Blakestown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 563 | 2.8 km |
| Hartstown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,120 | 3.3 km |
| Le Cheile Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 944 | 3.3 km |
| Scoil Phobail Chuil MhinCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,014 | 3.4 km |
| Coláiste Pobail SetantaETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,079 | 4.1 km |
| New Cross CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 417 | 5 km |
| Luttrellstown Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,027 | 5.1 km |
| Hansfield ETSSVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 867 | 5.1 km |
| Castleknock Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,318 | 5.2 km |
| Eriu Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 193 | 5.2 km |
| Edmund Rice CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 912 | 5.2 km |
All 47 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,214 | 5.6 km |
| Castleknock CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 771 | 5.6 km |
| Coláiste EoinETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 257 | 6 km |
| St Michaels Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 646 | 6.5 km |
| The Kings HospitalVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | Fee-paying, Boarding | 732 | 6.6 km |
| Mount Sackville Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 636 | 6.7 km |
| Beneavin De La Salle CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 585 | 7.2 km |
| St Dominics CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 790 | 7.3 km |
| St. Kevin's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 525 | 7.4 km |
| Coláiste Phádraig CBSVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 745 | 7.6 km |
| St Joseph's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 934 | 7.7 km |
| Phobailscoil IosoldeCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 764 | 7.8 km |
| St Declan's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 651 | 7.8 km |
| Coláiste MhuireVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 272 | 7.9 km |
| St Kevins CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 503 | 8 km |
| Cabra Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 264 | 8.1 km |
| Coláiste Cois LifeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 592 | 8.4 km |
| St. Seton's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Other | Girls and boys | DEIS | 741 | 8.4 km |
| Kylemore CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 479 | 8.4 km |
| Trinity Comprehensive SchoolComprehensive · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 564 | 8.5 km |
| Collinstown Park Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 630 | 8.6 km |
| St Mary's Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | DEIS | 830 | 8.8 km |
| Lucan Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 966 | 9 km |
| Confey Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 934 | 9.1 km |
| St Vincents C.B.S. GlasnevinVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | DEIS | 408 | 9.1 km |
| Scoil ChaitrionaVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste, DEIS | 523 | 9.4 km |
| St. Aidan's C.B.S.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 725 | 9.5 km |
| Kishoge Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 937 | 9.5 km |
| Griffeen Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 576 | 9.5 km |
| Ashbourne Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,109 | 9.5 km |
| Coláiste ChiaráinCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 676 | 9.8 km |
| Mercy Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 349 | 10 km |
| St Josephs Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 283 | 10 km |
| Clonturk CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 968 | 10 km |
| Loreto CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 655 | 10 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Hollystown
5 special schools serve the area: Youth Encounter Project, Danu Community Special School, Casa Caterina S S, St Vincents Home NS and Phoenix Park Specialist School, 173 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.
Hollystown beside the 82 other Irish towns of 9,000 to 17,400 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 |
| … | ||||||
| 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 |
| Finglas South | 12,475 | 99 | 29,161 | 9 | 57% | 0.5 km |
| Enniscorthy | 12,310 | 9 | 3,951 | 2 | 44% | 0.9 km |
| … | ||||||
| Waterford City Centre | 9,031 | 33 | 12,411 | 2 | 39% | 0.5 km |
Of the other 82 towns, 35 have more pupils at the schools around them than Hollystown. Teaching through Irish is on offer within 3 km in 82 of the 83.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Hollystown
Each September’s pupils at every school in or within 3 km of the town, counted where the school stands today.
The schools in and around Hollystown had 22,525 pupils in 2015/16 and 22,939 in 2025/26. Edmund Rice College grew most: +576% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Hollystown
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 Hollystown
Schools in or within 3 km of each neighbouring town; distances in a straight line.
| Town | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollystown | 68 | 22,939 | 3 | 50% | 1.9 km |
| Mulhuddart 1.9 km | 50 | 26,364 | 3 | 24% | 0.9 km |
| Blanchardstown 3.3 km | 91 | 36,302 | 5 | 44% | 0.7 km |
| Clonsilla 3.8 km | 56 | 29,411 | 3 | 21% | 0.6 km |
| Clonee 4.1 km | 25 | 12,320 | 2 | 28% | 1.3 km |
| Ongar 4.4 km | 42 | 22,425 | 3 | 21% | 0.3 km |
| Carpenterstown 5.1 km | 102 | 40,675 | 5 | 40% | 0.3 km |
Blanchardstown has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 5. Since 2019/20 the pupils around Hollystown changed by −3%; among its neighbours, Blanchardstown’s grew most (+1%) and Clonee’s least (−4%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Hollystown 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 Hollystown
How many schools are there in Hollystown?
In Hollystown or within 3 km of it: 51 primary schools, 12 secondary schools and 5 special schools, with 22,939 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Hollystown that teach through Irish?
Yes, 3: Gaelscoil an Chuilinn, Gaelscoil Ui Earcain and S.N. Oilibheir teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Hollystown?
No: all 12 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Hollystown?
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 Hollystown?
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).