Photo: Seod13ie · CC0Knocknacarra has 5 schools teaching entirely through Irish, out of 29 nearby
Around Knocknacarra, 17% of schools teach through Irish, above both Co. Galway’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (8%). Families in Knocknacarra have 20 primary schools, 8 secondary schools and 1 special school within 3 km, teaching 10,407 pupils. With no school results published in Ireland, and the Education Act 1998 restricting comparisons of them, these schools are described, not graded or ranked.
Schools in the town or within 3 km of its outline, Department of Education lists for 2025/26; the Ireland figures cover all schools listed.
What stands out about Knocknacarra’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 Seamus Naofa (221) and S.N. Fhursa (216). Language ↓
A wide choice at twelve
10 post-primary schools lie within 10 km, so families here have a real choice at twelve; each admits on its own policy. The nearest: Coláiste na Coiribe (0.9 km), Coláiste Einde (1.4 km) and Jesus & Mary Secondary School (1.4 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Drawn from the Department of Education’s lists; none of it judges how well a school teaches.
Teaching through Irish in and around Knocknacarra
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
5 of Knocknacarra’s 29 schools teach every subject through Irish, 3 of them in the Gaeltacht: Coláiste na Coiribe, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh and S N Seamus Naofa.
Where the 29 schools in and around Knocknacarra 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 Knocknacarra’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 Knocknacarra’s schools serve
How the area’s pupils divide, against 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 Knocknacarra | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 16% | 21% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 22% | 14% | 6% |
| Girls | 50% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 38% | 9% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 0% | 6% |
DEIS schools teach 16% of the pupils around Knocknacarra, a smaller share than Ireland’s 27% (Co. Galway: 21%). Where this area differs most from Ireland is pupils at all-Irish schools, at 22% against 6%. Coláiste Einde, with 808 pupils, is the largest school here in DEIS.
Each of the 29 schools
| School | Pupils | Girls | DEIS | All-Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coláiste EindePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 808 | 43% | ✓ | |
| Coláiste na CoiribePost-primary · ETB | 711 | 48% | ✓ | |
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 658 | 100% | ||
| Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighPrimary | 643 | 53% | ✓ | |
| St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NSPrimary | 400 | 48% | ||
| Knocknacarra Educate Together NSPrimary | 207 | 43% | ||
| Scoil Naomh IosefPrimary | 183 | 42% | ||
| Cuan na Gaillimhe Community National SchoolPrimary | 112 | 43% | ||
| Scoil Naomh EindePrimary | 119 | 1% | ||
| Scoil IdePrimary | 244 | 84% | ||
| Dominican CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 564 | 100% | ||
| Scoil Náisiúnta RóisPrimary | 297 | 59% | ||
| S.N. Bride NaofaPrimary | 187 | 45% | ✓ | |
| S N Seamus NaofaPrimary | 221 | 47% | ✓ | |
| Coláiste Muire MáthairPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 738 | 43% | ||
| S.N. FhursaPrimary | 216 | 54% | ✓ | |
| St Josephs Special SchSpecial | 80 | 26% | ||
| SN TuairiniPrimary | 84 | 43% | ||
| Scoil Croi IosaPrimary | 122 | 49% | ✓ | |
| S.N. IognaidPrimary | 480 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Galway Educate Together NSPrimary | 373 | 43% | ||
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 637 | 46% | ||
| Bushy Park N.S.Primary | 366 | 52% | ||
| St Joseph's CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 791 | 0% | ||
| Niochlas N.S.Primary | 262 | 46% | ✓ | |
| S.N. Padraic NaofaPrimary | 214 | 39% | ||
| Parochial N.S.Primary | 75 | 56% | ||
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 379 | 48% | ||
| Scoil an Linbh IosaPrimary | 236 | 56% | ✓ |
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 Knocknacarra’s schools
Ethos as listed for 2025/26: each bar splits the schools by who runs them.
22 of Knocknacarra’s 29 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora (16), Le Chéile Schools Trust (3) and Educate Together (3). 5 of the 29 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 10 patrons of Knocknacarra’s schools
The patron owns the school and sets its ethos; a board of management runs it day to day.
The schools around Knocknacarra answer to 10 patrons, and Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora leads with 16 of the 29 schools and 47% of their pupils. Education and Training Boards run 2 of them. Educate Together runs 3.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & KilfenoraColáiste Einde, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, S.N. Iognaid, St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NS, Bushy Park, Scoil Náisiúnta Róis, Niochlas, Scoil Ide, Scoil an Linbh Iosa, S N Seamus Naofa, S.N. Padraic Naofa, S.N. Bride Naofa, Scoil Naomh Iosef, Scoil Croi Iosa, Scoil Naomh Einde, SN Tuairini | Catholic | 16 | 4,866 |
| Le Chéile Schools TrustSt Joseph's College, Jesus & Mary, Dominican College | Catholic | 3 | 2,013 |
| Educate TogetherGalway City & Oranmore Educate Together, Galway Educate Together NS, Knocknacarra Educate Together NS | Multi-denominational | 3 | 959 |
| CEIST & Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh, KilfenoraColáiste Muire Máthair | Catholic | 1 | 738 |
| Galway & Roscommon ETBColáiste na Coiribe | Multi-denominational | 1 | 711 |
| Society of Jesus (Jesuits)Coláiste Iognáid S.J. | Catholic | 1 | 637 |
| Minister for Education & SkillsS.N. Fhursa | Catholic | 1 | 216 |
| Galway and Roscommon ETBCuan na Gaillimhe Community | Multi-denominational | 1 | 112 |
| 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 Knocknacarra
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, 6 of these 27 schools have grown by 5% or more and 12 have shrunk as much; across Ireland the number of pupils changed by +5%.
All 27 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 29 schools in and around Knocknacarra
Here are the schools in Knocknacarra or within 3 km of it, every one with its own page. No letters and no results: Ireland publishes none school by school.
Inspection reports for Knocknacarra’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 29 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 Knocknacarra
Post-primary schools within 10 km of the town; children move at about twelve, and families apply to each school
Within 10 km of Knocknacarra there are 10 post-primary schools: 7 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 na CoiribeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaeltacht school | 711 | 0.9 km |
| Coláiste EindeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 808 | 1.4 km |
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 658 | 1.4 km |
| Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 2.2 km |
| Coláiste Muire MáthairVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 738 | 2.9 km |
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 637 | 3.3 km |
| St Joseph's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 791 | 3.5 km |
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 379 | 3.8 km |
| Galway Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 395 | 5.4 km |
| Coláiste Mhuirlinne/Merlin CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 710 | 8.5 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Knocknacarra
St Josephs Special Sch is the special school here, with 80 pupils. 9 of the 20 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.
Knocknacarra beside the 76 other Irish towns of 12,900 to 24,800 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanchardstown | 24,613 | 91 | 36,302 | 5 | 44% | 0.7 km |
| … | ||||||
| Clontarf East | 18,626 | 117 | 32,925 | 5 | 44% | 0.6 km |
| Malahide | 18,608 | 24 | 12,134 | 1 | 8% | 1.1 km |
| Dooradoyle | 18,593 | 42 | 13,180 | 5 | 36% | 1 km |
| The Liberties | 18,460 | 129 | 33,405 | 9 | 53% | 0.3 km |
| Knocknacarra | 18,398 | 29 | 10,407 | 5 | 17% | 0.9 km |
| Clonmel | 18,369 | 13 | 4,235 | 1 | 23% | 0.4 km |
| Carrigaline | 18,239 | 12 | 4,439 | 2 | 8% | 0.5 km |
| Stillorgan | 18,212 | 81 | 32,574 | 8 | 7% | 0.4 km |
| Templeogue | 18,076 | 118 | 40,646 | 8 | 34% | 0.5 km |
| … | ||||||
| Wicklow | 12,957 | 11 | 4,543 | 1 | 36% | 0.6 km |
Among the 76 other towns, 52 have more pupils at their schools than Knocknacarra does. 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 Knocknacarra
Every school in or within 3 km of the town each September, counted where it stands today.
The schools in and around Knocknacarra had 9,657 pupils in 2015/16 and 10,407 in 2025/26. Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary School grew most: +924% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Knocknacarra
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 Knocknacarra
For each nearby town, its schools in or within 3 km of its outline, with straight-line distances.
The roll around Knocknacarra moved +3% since 2019/20; nearby, Taylor's Hill grew most (+5%) and Dangan least (+1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Knocknacarra 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 Knocknacarra
How many schools are there in Knocknacarra?
In Knocknacarra or within 3 km of it: 20 primary schools, 8 secondary schools and 1 special school, with 10,407 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Knocknacarra that teach through Irish?
Yes, 5: Coláiste na Coiribe, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh and S N Seamus Naofa teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Knocknacarra?
No: all 8 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Knocknacarra?
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 Knocknacarra?
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).