Photo: Noelcarroll · CC BY-SA 4.0Newcastle has 5 schools teaching entirely through Irish, out of 31 nearby
All-Irish schools make up 16% of those around Newcastle, above both Co. Galway’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (8%). In or within 3 km of Newcastle: 19 primary schools, 9 secondary schools and 3 special schools, 11,321 pupils in all. 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 Newcastle’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 (0.9 km), St Joseph's College (1.1 km) and Coláiste Iognáid S.J. (1.2 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 Newcastle
Schools by the language they teach in; the black tick is Ireland’s share.
5 of Newcastle’s 31 schools teach every subject through Irish, 3 of them in the Gaeltacht: S.N. Iognaid, S.N. Fhursa and Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh.
Where the 31 schools in and around Newcastle 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 Newcastle’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 Newcastle’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 Newcastle | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 27% | 21% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 19% | 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% |
DEIS schools teach 27% of the pupils around Newcastle, much as across Ireland (27%; Co. Galway: 21%). Where this area differs most from Ireland is pupils at all-Irish schools, at 19% against 6%. Coláiste Einde, with 808 pupils, is the largest school here in DEIS.
Each of the 31 schools
| School | Pupils | Girls | DEIS | All-Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galway Educate Together NSPrimary | 373 | 43% | ||
| S.N. Bride NaofaPrimary | 187 | 45% | ✓ | |
| St Josephs Special SchSpecial | 80 | 26% | ||
| Scoil Croi IosaPrimary | 122 | 49% | ✓ | |
| Coláiste Muire MáthairPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 738 | 43% | ||
| S.N. IognaidPrimary | 480 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 637 | 46% | ||
| St Joseph's CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 791 | 0% | ||
| S.N. FhursaPrimary | 216 | 54% | ✓ | |
| S.N. Padraic NaofaPrimary | 214 | 39% | ||
| Dominican CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 564 | 100% | ||
| Scoil Náisiúnta RóisPrimary | 297 | 59% | ||
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 379 | 48% | ||
| Parochial N.S.Primary | 75 | 56% | ||
| Niochlas N.S.Primary | 262 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Scoil an Linbh IosaPrimary | 236 | 56% | ✓ | |
| Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighPrimary | 643 | 53% | ✓ | |
| Bushy Park N.S.Primary | 366 | 52% | ||
| Scoil Naomh EindePrimary | 119 | 1% | ||
| Coláiste EindePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 808 | 43% | ✓ | |
| Scoil IdePrimary | 244 | 84% | ||
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 658 | 100% | ||
| Tirellan Heights N.S.Primary | 330 | 52% | ✓ | |
| St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NSPrimary | 400 | 48% | ||
| Galway Community CollegePost-primary · ETB | 395 | 47% | ✓ | |
| S.N. BrighdePrimary | 130 | 44% | ✓ | |
| Lakeview SchoolSpecial | 76 | 36% | ||
| Rosedale SchoolSpecial | 75 | 39% | ||
| Coláiste na CoiribePost-primary · ETB | 711 | 48% | ✓ | |
| S.N. Caitriona SinsearPrimary | 365 | 50% | ✓ | |
| S.N. Caitriona SoisPrimary | 350 | 53% | ✓ |
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 Newcastle’s schools
Each school’s ethos, 2025/26: the bars show the share of schools of each kind.
25 of Newcastle’s 31 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora (19), Le Chéile Schools Trust (3) and Educate Together (2). 9 of the 31 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 Newcastle’s schools
Patrons own the schools and set their ethos; boards of management run them day to day.
9 patrons run the 31 schools around Newcastle; the largest, Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora, has 19 of them and 50% of the pupils. 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, St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NS, Bushy Park, S.N. Caitriona Sinsear, S.N. Caitriona Sois, Tirellan Heights, Scoil Náisiúnta Róis, Niochlas, Scoil Ide, Scoil an Linbh Iosa, S.N. Padraic Naofa, S.N. Bride Naofa, S.N. Brighde, Scoil Croi Iosa, Scoil Naomh Einde, Lakeview School, Rosedale School | Catholic | 19 | 5,704 |
| 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 Newcastle
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 27; across Ireland: +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 31 schools in and around Newcastle
Every school in Newcastle or within 3 km of its outline, each linked to its own page. There are no letters or results on these cards, because Ireland publishes none school by school.
Inspection reports for Newcastle’s schools
Reports from the Department of Education’s Inspectorate, every school’s linked and none rated
Reports come from whole-school evaluations (teaching, learning, leadership and management), subject inspections and follow-through visits that check earlier advice; gov.ie publishes each one with the school’s response.
Reports say what inspectors found and what should improve, without an overall grade, so none appears here; each of the 31 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 Newcastle
Post-primary schools within 10 km of the town; children move at about twelve, and families apply to each school
11 post-primary schools are within 10 km of Newcastle: 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 | 0.9 km |
| St Joseph's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 791 | 1.1 km |
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 637 | 1.2 km |
| Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 1.2 km |
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 379 | 1.2 km |
| Coláiste EindeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 808 | 1.9 km |
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 658 | 2.1 km |
| Galway Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 395 | 2.5 km |
| Coláiste na CoiribeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaeltacht school | 711 | 3.7 km |
| Coláiste Mhuirlinne/Merlin CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 710 | 5.7 km |
| Calasanctius CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 906 | 9.3 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Newcastle
3 special schools serve the area: St Josephs Special Sch, Lakeview School and Rosedale School, 231 pupils between them. 11 of the 19 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.
Newcastle beside the 92 other Irish towns of 2,800 to 5,400 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tipperary | 5,387 | 8 | 2,079 | 1 | 75% | 0.4 km |
| … | ||||||
| Montenotte | 4,113 | 70 | 20,121 | 8 | 49% | 0.5 km |
| Rathbane | 4,111 | 52 | 19,628 | 7 | 33% | 1.5 km |
| Grange | 4,109 | 32 | 12,776 | 3 | 41% | 1.3 km |
| Macroom | 4,096 | 6 | 1,897 | 0 | 17% | 0.1 km |
| Newcastle | 4,032 | 31 | 11,321 | 5 | 29% | 0.9 km |
| Charleville | 3,970 | 6 | 1,334 | 0 | 50% | 0.3 km |
| Castleblayney | 3,926 | 9 | 2,076 | 1 | 44% | 0.5 km |
| Claremorris | 3,857 | 3 | 1,120 | 0 | 0% | 0.7 km |
| Farranree | 3,824 | 57 | 16,957 | 5 | 56% | 0.4 km |
| … | ||||||
| Kanturk | 2,803 | 3 | 1,290 | 0 | 0% | 0.4 km |
Of the other 92 towns, 35 have more pupils at the schools around them than Newcastle. Teaching through Irish is on offer within 3 km in 61 of the 93.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Newcastle
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 Newcastle had 11,501 pupils in 2015/16 and 11,321 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 Newcastle
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 Newcastle
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle | 31 | 11,321 | 5 | 29% | 0.9 km |
| Dangan 0.7 km | 30 | 10,789 | 5 | 23% | 1.6 km |
| Taylor's Hill 0.9 km | 30 | 10,795 | 4 | 23% | 0.4 km |
| Rahoon 1.1 km | 29 | 10,562 | 5 | 21% | 1.6 km |
| Woodquay and Nuns Island 1.3 km | 33 | 11,452 | 5 | 33% | 0.2 km |
| Claddagh 1.6 km | 31 | 11,252 | 4 | 32% | 0.5 km |
| Salthill 1.8 km | 30 | 10,795 | 4 | 23% | 0.6 km |
Of Newcastle’s neighbours, Taylor's Hill saw the most growth in pupils since 2019/20 (+5%) and Dangan the least (+1%); Newcastle itself: +1%.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Newcastle 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 Newcastle
How many schools are there in Newcastle?
In Newcastle or within 3 km of it: 19 primary schools, 9 secondary schools and 3 special schools, with 11,321 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Newcastle that teach through Irish?
Yes, 5: S.N. Iognaid, S.N. Fhursa and Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Newcastle?
No: all 9 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Newcastle?
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 Newcastle?
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).