Photo: paddy (Patrick-Emil Zörner) · CC BY-SA 3.05 of the 30 schools around Dangan teach entirely through Irish
All-Irish schools make up 17% of those around Dangan, above both Co. Galway’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (8%). 18 primary schools, 9 secondary schools and 3 special schools are in or within 3 km of Dangan, with 10,789 pupils between them. Nothing here grades or ranks these schools: Ireland publishes no results school by school, 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 Dangan’s schools
More all-Irish schools than most places
Families here have more choice of a school that teaches every subject through Irish than in most of Ireland, where 8% of schools do. They are Coláiste na Coiribe (711), Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh (643), S.N. Iognaid (480), S.N. Fhursa (216) and S.N. Brighde (130). Language ↓
A wide choice at twelve
Within 10 km of the town there are 11 post-primary schools to choose from, of different kinds; each sets its own admission policy, and many families apply to several. The nearest: Coláiste Muire Máthair (1.6 km), St Joseph's College (1.7 km) and Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary School (1.8 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Facts from the Department of Education’s lists; nothing here judges how well a school teaches.
Teaching through Irish in and around Dangan
The schools by teaching language, with Ireland’s share as the black tick.
5 of Dangan’s 30 schools teach every subject through Irish, 3 of them in the Gaeltacht: S.N. Brighde, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh and S.N. Fhursa.
Where the 30 schools in and around Dangan 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 Dangan’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.
Who Dangan’s schools serve
The pupils at the area’s schools by share, beside Co. Galway’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 Dangan | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 22% | 21% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 20% | 14% | 6% |
| Girls | 50% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 35% | 9% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 0% | 6% |
Fewer of the pupils around Dangan are at DEIS schools than across Ireland: 22% against 27% (Co. Galway: 21%). Furthest from Ireland’s mix is the share of pupils at all-Irish schools: 20% here against 6%. The biggest school in DEIS is Coláiste Einde (808 pupils).
Each of the 30 schools
| School | Pupils | Girls | DEIS | All-Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushy Park N.S.Primary | 366 | 52% | ||
| Galway Educate Together NSPrimary | 373 | 43% | ||
| St Josephs Special SchSpecial | 80 | 26% | ||
| S.N. Bride NaofaPrimary | 187 | 45% | ✓ | |
| S.N. BrighdePrimary | 130 | 44% | ✓ | |
| Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighPrimary | 643 | 53% | ✓ | |
| Dominican CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 564 | 100% | ||
| Scoil Náisiúnta RóisPrimary | 297 | 59% | ||
| Coláiste Muire MáthairPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 738 | 43% | ||
| Scoil Croi IosaPrimary | 122 | 49% | ✓ | |
| Parochial N.S.Primary | 75 | 56% | ||
| Coláiste EindePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 808 | 43% | ✓ | |
| Tirellan Heights N.S.Primary | 330 | 52% | ✓ | |
| S.N. FhursaPrimary | 216 | 54% | ✓ | |
| Scoil Naomh EindePrimary | 119 | 1% | ||
| Scoil an Linbh IosaPrimary | 236 | 56% | ✓ | |
| S.N. IognaidPrimary | 480 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 379 | 48% | ||
| St Joseph's CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 791 | 0% | ||
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 658 | 100% | ||
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 637 | 46% | ||
| Scoil IdePrimary | 244 | 84% | ||
| S.N. Padraic NaofaPrimary | 214 | 39% | ||
| St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NSPrimary | 400 | 48% | ||
| Niochlas N.S.Primary | 262 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Galway Community CollegePost-primary · ETB | 395 | 47% | ✓ | |
| Lakeview SchoolSpecial | 76 | 36% | ||
| Rosedale SchoolSpecial | 75 | 39% | ||
| Coláiste na CoiribePost-primary · ETB | 711 | 48% | ✓ | |
| Scoil Naomh IosefPrimary | 183 | 42% |
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 Dangan’s schools
Who runs each school, as listed for 2025/26; the bars give the share of schools of each kind.
24 of Dangan’s 30 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora (18), Le Chéile Schools Trust (3) and Educate Together (2). 7 of the 30 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 9 patrons of Dangan’s schools
Patrons own the schools and set their ethos; boards of management run them day to day.
Of the 30 schools around Dangan, 18 have Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora as patron, teaching 48% of the pupils; 9 patrons in all. The local Education and Training Board runs 2. Educate Together runs 2.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & KilfenoraColáiste Einde, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, S.N. Iognaid, St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NS, Bushy Park, Tirellan Heights, Scoil Náisiúnta Róis, Niochlas, Scoil Ide, Scoil an Linbh Iosa, S.N. Padraic Naofa, S.N. Bride Naofa, Scoil Naomh Iosef, S.N. Brighde, Scoil Croi Iosa, Scoil Naomh Einde, Lakeview School, Rosedale School | Catholic | 18 | 5,172 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustSt Joseph's College, Jesus & Mary, Dominican College | Catholic | 3 | 2,013 |
| Galway & Roscommon ETBColáiste na Coiribe, Galway | Multi-denominational, Inter-denominational | 2 | 1,106 |
| Educate TogetherGalway City & Oranmore Educate Together, Galway Educate Together NS | Multi-denominational | 2 | 752 |
| CEIST & Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh, KilfenoraColáiste Muire Máthair | Catholic | 1 | 738 |
| Society of Jesus (Jesuits)Coláiste Iognáid S.J. | Catholic | 1 | 637 |
| Minister for Education & SkillsS.N. Fhursa | Catholic | 1 | 216 |
| Ability WestSt Josephs Special Sch | Multi-denominational | 1 | 80 |
| Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry COIParochial | Church of Ireland | 1 | 75 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Dangan
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
5 schools here have grown by 5% or more since 2019/20, 13 have shrunk by as much, out of 26; across Ireland: +5%.
All 26 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 30 schools in and around Dangan
Every school in Dangan or within 3 km of its outline, each linked to its own page. You won’t find letters or results below: Ireland publishes none for single schools.
Inspection reports for Dangan’s schools
The Inspectorate’s published reports for each school, linked, without ratings
Each school is visited by inspectors from time to time, for a whole-school evaluation of teaching, learning and leadership, for one subject, or to follow up earlier advice, and every report is posted 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 30 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 Dangan
All post-primaries within 10 km; at about twelve, families choose and apply school by school
Families in Dangan have 11 post-primary schools within 10 km: 8 voluntary secondary schools and 3 ETB schools. 3 of them are single-sex, 2 for girls and 1 for boys. Just one teaches every subject through Irish.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coláiste Muire MáthairVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 738 | 1.6 km |
| St Joseph's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 791 | 1.7 km |
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 379 | 1.8 km |
| Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 1.8 km |
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 637 | 1.9 km |
| Coláiste EindeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 808 | 2.3 km |
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 658 | 2.5 km |
| Galway Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 395 | 2.8 km |
| Coláiste na CoiribeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaeltacht school | 711 | 3.6 km |
| Coláiste Mhuirlinne/Merlin CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 710 | 6 km |
| Calasanctius CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 906 | 9.6 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Dangan
3 special schools serve the area: St Josephs Special Sch, Lakeview School and Rosedale School, 231 pupils between them. 10 of the 18 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.
Dangan beside the 96 other Irish towns of 3,200 to 6,200 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Glen | 6,119 | 66 | 19,000 | 5 | 50% | 0.5 km |
| … | ||||||
| Tramore | 4,803 | 75 | 22,562 | 7 | 48% | 0.7 km |
| Listowel | 4,794 | 8 | 1,547 | 1 | 50% | 0.4 km |
| Carrick-On-Shannon | 4,743 | 5 | 1,575 | 1 | 0% | 0.2 km |
| Birr | 4,726 | 7 | 1,708 | 1 | 86% | 1.4 km |
| Dangan | 4,621 | 30 | 10,789 | 5 | 23% | 1.6 km |
| Bohernabreena | 4,613 | 54 | 19,297 | 5 | 46% | 0.9 km |
| Athenry | 4,603 | 5 | 3,133 | 2 | 0% | 0.4 km |
| Saggart | 4,573 | 23 | 9,161 | 3 | 61% | 0.7 km |
| Kilcoole | 4,569 | 8 | 3,046 | 0 | 0% | 0.6 km |
| … | ||||||
| Virginia | 3,211 | 3 | 1,430 | 0 | 0% | 0.7 km |
More pupils attend the schools around 45 of the other 96 towns than around Dangan. Teaching through Irish is on offer within 3 km in 71 of the 97.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Dangan
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 Dangan had 10,878 pupils in 2015/16 and 10,789 in 2025/26, fewer than before. Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary School grew most: +924% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Dangan
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 Dangan
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dangan | 30 | 10,789 | 5 | 23% | 1.6 km |
| Newcastle 0.7 km | 31 | 11,321 | 5 | 29% | 0.9 km |
| Rahoon 0.8 km | 29 | 10,562 | 5 | 21% | 1.6 km |
| Taylor's Hill 1.4 km | 30 | 10,795 | 4 | 23% | 0.4 km |
| Woodquay and Nuns Island 1.8 km | 33 | 11,452 | 5 | 33% | 0.2 km |
| Ballinfoile and Terryland 2.1 km | 33 | 11,082 | 5 | 33% | 1.5 km |
| Claddagh 2.3 km | 31 | 11,252 | 4 | 32% | 0.5 km |
Since 2019/20 the pupils around Dangan changed by +1%; among its neighbours, Taylor's Hill’s grew most (+5%) and Newcastle’s least (+1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Dangan 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 Dangan
How many schools are there in Dangan?
In Dangan or within 3 km of it: 18 primary schools, 9 secondary schools and 3 special schools, with 10,789 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Dangan that teach through Irish?
Yes, 5: S.N. Brighde, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh and S.N. Fhursa teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Dangan?
No: all 9 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Dangan?
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 Dangan?
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).