Photo: Sulmac at English Wikipedia · Public domain36 schools in and around Eyre Square: 23 primary schools, 9 secondary schools and 4 special schools
Every subject is taught through Irish at 14% of the schools around Eyre Square, below Co. Galway’s towns (15%) but above Irish towns (8%). They have 12,413 pupils between them, in or within 3 km of Eyre Square. 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 Eyre Square’s schools
A wide choice at twelve
Families here can choose among 12 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: Galway Community College (1.2 km), Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary School (1.2 km) and St Joseph's College (1.4 km). Post-primary choices ↓
From the Department of Education’s school lists: facts, not judgements of how well a school teaches.
Where the 36 schools in and around Eyre Square 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 Eyre Square’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 Eyre Square
Schools by the language they teach in; the black tick is Ireland’s share.
5 of Eyre Square’s 36 schools teach every subject through Irish, 2 of them in the Gaeltacht: Gaelscoil Dara, S.N. Iognaid and S.N. Fhursa.
Who Eyre Square’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 Eyre Square | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 34% | 21% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 15% | 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% |
More of the pupils around Eyre Square are at DEIS schools than across Ireland: 34% against 27% (Co. Galway: 21%). The biggest difference from Ireland is in pupils at all-Irish schools: 15% here, 6% there. Of the DEIS schools here, Coláiste Einde is the biggest: 808 pupils.
Each of the 36 schools
| School | Pupils | Girls | DEIS | All-Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Caitriona SinsearPrimary | 365 | 50% | ✓ | |
| S.N. Caitriona SoisPrimary | 350 | 53% | ✓ | |
| Lakeview SchoolSpecial | 76 | 36% | ||
| Rosedale SchoolSpecial | 75 | 39% | ||
| S.N. Padraic NaofaPrimary | 214 | 39% | ||
| Galway Community CollegePost-primary · ETB | 395 | 47% | ✓ | |
| Gaelscoil DaraPrimary | 419 | 53% | ✓ | |
| St Joseph's CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 791 | 0% | ||
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 379 | 48% | ||
| Scoil an Linbh IosaPrimary | 236 | 56% | ✓ | |
| Niochlas N.S.Primary | 262 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Parochial N.S.Primary | 75 | 56% | ||
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 637 | 46% | ||
| S.N. IognaidPrimary | 480 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Radharc na Mara National SchoolPrimary | 353 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Scoil Croi IosaPrimary | 122 | 49% | ✓ | |
| S.N. FhursaPrimary | 216 | 54% | ✓ | |
| Coláiste Muire MáthairPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 738 | 43% | ||
| Tirellan Heights N.S.Primary | 330 | 52% | ✓ | |
| S.N. Bride NaofaPrimary | 187 | 45% | ✓ | |
| Scoil Náisiúnta RóisPrimary | 297 | 59% | ||
| Dominican CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 564 | 100% | ||
| St Josephs Special SchSpecial | 80 | 26% | ||
| Galway Educate Together NSPrimary | 373 | 43% | ||
| Scoil AineSpecial | 45 | 67% | ||
| Scoil IdePrimary | 244 | 84% | ||
| Scoil Naomh EindePrimary | 119 | 1% | ||
| Coláiste Mhuirlinne/Merlin CollegePost-primary · ETB | 710 | 48% | ✓ | |
| Merlin Woods Primary SchoolPrimary | 383 | 48% | ||
| Coláiste EindePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 808 | 43% | ✓ | |
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 658 | 100% | ||
| S.N. ColmcillePrimary | 70 | 54% | ✓ | |
| Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighPrimary | 643 | 53% | ✓ | |
| Bushy Park N.S.Primary | 366 | 52% | ||
| S.N. BrighdePrimary | 130 | 44% | ✓ | |
| Scoil MhuirePrimary | 223 | 46% |
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 Eyre Square’s schools
Ethos as listed for 2025/26: each bar splits the schools by who runs them.
30 of Eyre Square’s 36 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora (24), Le Chéile Schools Trust (3) and Galway & Roscommon ETB (2). 12 of the 36 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 Eyre Square’s schools
The patron owns the school and sets its ethos; a board of management runs it day to day.
Of the 36 schools around Eyre Square, 24 have Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora as patron, teaching 55% of the pupils; 9 patrons in all. Education and Training Boards run 2 of them. Educate Together runs 2.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & KilfenoraColáiste Einde, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, S.N. Iognaid, Gaelscoil Dara, Merlin Woods Primary School, Bushy Park, S.N. Caitriona Sinsear, Radharc na Mara, S.N. Caitriona Sois, Tirellan Heights, Scoil Náisiúnta Róis, Niochlas, Scoil Ide, Scoil an Linbh Iosa, Scoil Mhuire, S.N. Padraic Naofa, S.N. Bride Naofa, S.N. Brighde, Scoil Croi Iosa, Scoil Naomh Einde, Lakeview School, Rosedale School, S.N. Colmcille, Scoil Aine | Catholic | 24 | 6,797 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustSt Joseph's College, Jesus & Mary, Dominican College | Catholic | 3 | 2,013 |
| Galway & Roscommon ETBColáiste Mhuirlinne/Merlin College, Galway | Multi-denominational, Inter-denominational | 2 | 1,105 |
| 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 Eyre Square
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, 5 of these 30 schools have grown by 5% or more and 16 have shrunk as much; across Ireland the number of pupils changed by +5%.
All 30 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 36 schools in and around Eyre Square
Each school in or within 3 km of Eyre Square links to a page of its own. No letters and no results: Ireland publishes none school by school.
Inspection reports for Eyre Square’s schools
The Inspectorate’s published reports for each school, linked, without ratings
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 36 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 Eyre Square
All post-primaries within 10 km; at about twelve, families choose and apply school by school
Within 10 km of Eyre Square there are 12 post-primary schools: 8 voluntary secondary schools and 4 ETB schools. 3 teach girls and boys apart: 2 girls’ and 1 boys’ schools. Just one teaches every subject through Irish.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galway Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 395 | 1.2 km |
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 379 | 1.2 km |
| St Joseph's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 791 | 1.4 km |
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 637 | 1.7 km |
| Coláiste Muire MáthairVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 738 | 2 km |
| Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 2.7 km |
| Coláiste Mhuirlinne/Merlin CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 710 | 3.6 km |
| Coláiste EindeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 808 | 3.6 km |
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 658 | 3.7 km |
| Coláiste na CoiribeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaeltacht school | 711 | 5.8 km |
| Calasanctius CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 906 | 6.9 km |
| Coláiste Bhaile ChláirETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,269 | 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 Eyre Square
4 special schools serve the area: Lakeview School, Rosedale School, St Josephs Special Sch and Scoil Aine, 276 pupils between them. 14 of the 23 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.
Eyre Square beside the 97 other Irish towns of 4,800 to 9,200 people
Towns of a similar size, with the schools in or within 3 km of each; ordered by population, never ranked
| Town | People | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford City Centre | 9,031 | 33 | 12,411 | 2 | 39% | 0.5 km |
| … | ||||||
| South Gate | 7,185 | 75 | 23,775 | 7 | 47% | 0.3 km |
| Dunboyne | 7,155 | 14 | 7,600 | 1 | 7% | 0.3 km |
| Buncrana | 6,971 | 7 | 2,583 | 2 | 43% | 0.6 km |
| Westport | 6,872 | 10 | 2,121 | 1 | 20% | 0.6 km |
| Eyre Square | 6,801 | 36 | 12,413 | 5 | 33% | 1.2 km |
| Christchurch | 6,778 | 119 | 29,651 | 8 | 51% | 0.3 km |
| O'Connell Street | 6,749 | 124 | 33,516 | 11 | 52% | 0.5 km |
| Fermoy | 6,720 | 12 | 3,461 | 1 | 17% | 0.2 km |
| Santry | 6,710 | 64 | 20,947 | 7 | 64% | 1.7 km |
| … | ||||||
| Tramore | 4,803 | 75 | 22,562 | 7 | 48% | 0.7 km |
More pupils attend the schools around 47 of the other 97 towns than around Eyre Square. 85 of the 98 towns have an all-Irish school within 3 km.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Eyre Square
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 Eyre Square had 12,096 pupils in 2015/16 and 12,413 in 2025/26. Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary School grew most: +924% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Eyre Square
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 Eyre Square
For each nearby town, its schools in or within 3 km of its outline, with straight-line distances.
| Town | Schools | Pupils | All-Irish | DEIS schools | Nearest post-primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyre Square | 36 | 12,413 | 5 | 33% | 1.2 km |
| Woodquay and Nuns Island 1.1 km | 33 | 11,452 | 5 | 33% | 0.2 km |
| Mervue 1.5 km | 30 | 9,041 | 4 | 37% | 0.9 km |
| Claddagh 1.6 km | 31 | 11,252 | 4 | 32% | 0.5 km |
| Murrough 2.2 km | 22 | 7,826 | 2 | 41% | 1.6 km |
| Newcastle 2.4 km | 31 | 11,321 | 5 | 29% | 0.9 km |
| Ballinfoile and Terryland 2.4 km | 33 | 11,082 | 5 | 33% | 1.5 km |
Of Eyre Square’s neighbours, Mervue saw the most growth in pupils since 2019/20 (+3%) and Newcastle the least (+1%); Eyre Square itself: +2%.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Eyre Square 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 Eyre Square
How many schools are there in Eyre Square?
In Eyre Square or within 3 km of it: 23 primary schools, 9 secondary schools and 4 special schools, with 12,413 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Eyre Square that teach through Irish?
Yes, 5: Gaelscoil Dara, S.N. Iognaid and S.N. Fhursa teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Eyre Square?
No: all 9 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Eyre Square?
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 Eyre Square?
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).