Photo: Arnold Unterholzner from Schlanders, Italy · CC BY 2.030 schools in and around Salthill: 18 primary schools, 9 secondary schools and 3 special schools
Around Salthill, 13% of schools teach through Irish, below Co. Galway’s towns (15%) but above Irish towns (8%). In or within 3 km of Salthill, they have 10,795 pupils in all. With no school results published in Ireland, and the Education Act 1998 restricting comparisons of them, these schools are described, not graded or ranked.
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 Salthill’s schools
A wide choice at twelve
Families here can choose among 11 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: Dominican College (0.6 km), Jesus & Mary Secondary School (0.8 km) and Coláiste Einde (0.8 km). Post-primary choices ↓
From the Department of Education’s school lists: facts, not judgements of how well a school teaches.
Where the 30 schools in and around Salthill 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 Salthill’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 Salthill
How many schools teach through each language; the tick marks Ireland’s share.
4 of Salthill’s 30 schools teach every subject through Irish, 2 of them in the Gaeltacht: S.N. Fhursa, S.N. Iognaid and Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh.
Who Salthill’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 Salthill | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 22% | 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% |
Fewer of the pupils around Salthill are at DEIS schools than across Ireland: 22% against 27% (Co. Galway: 21%). The biggest difference from Ireland is in pupils at all-Irish schools: 19% here, 6% there. Of the DEIS schools here, Coláiste Einde is the biggest: 808 pupils.
Each of the 30 schools
| School | Pupils | Girls | DEIS | All-Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominican CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 564 | 100% | ||
| Scoil Náisiúnta RóisPrimary | 297 | 59% | ||
| Scoil IdePrimary | 244 | 84% | ||
| Scoil Naomh EindePrimary | 119 | 1% | ||
| S.N. FhursaPrimary | 216 | 54% | ✓ | |
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 658 | 100% | ||
| Coláiste EindePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 808 | 43% | ✓ | |
| Coláiste Muire MáthairPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 738 | 43% | ||
| S.N. IognaidPrimary | 480 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 637 | 46% | ||
| S.N. Bride NaofaPrimary | 187 | 45% | ✓ | |
| Niochlas N.S.Primary | 262 | 46% | ✓ | |
| Scoil Croi IosaPrimary | 122 | 49% | ✓ | |
| St Joseph's CollegePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 791 | 0% | ||
| S.N. Padraic NaofaPrimary | 214 | 39% | ||
| Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighPrimary | 643 | 53% | ✓ | |
| Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary SchoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 379 | 48% | ||
| St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NSPrimary | 400 | 48% | ||
| Scoil an Linbh IosaPrimary | 236 | 56% | ✓ | |
| Parochial N.S.Primary | 75 | 56% | ||
| St Josephs Special SchSpecial | 80 | 26% | ||
| Galway Educate Together NSPrimary | 373 | 43% | ||
| Bushy Park N.S.Primary | 366 | 52% | ||
| Coláiste na CoiribePost-primary · ETB | 711 | 48% | ✓ | |
| Knocknacarra Educate Together NSPrimary | 207 | 43% | ||
| Cuan na Gaillimhe Community National SchoolPrimary | 112 | 43% | ||
| Galway Community CollegePost-primary · ETB | 395 | 47% | ✓ | |
| Tirellan Heights N.S.Primary | 330 | 52% | ✓ | |
| Lakeview SchoolSpecial | 76 | 36% | ||
| Rosedale SchoolSpecial | 75 | 39% |
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 Salthill’s schools
Ethos as listed for 2025/26: each bar splits the schools by who runs them.
22 of Salthill’s 30 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). 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 10 patrons of Salthill’s schools
Patrons own the schools and set their ethos; boards of management run them day to day.
The schools around Salthill answer to 10 patrons, and Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora leads with 16 of the 30 schools and 45% of their pupils. 3 are ETB schools. 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, Tirellan Heights, Scoil Náisiúnta Róis, Niochlas, Scoil Ide, Scoil an Linbh Iosa, S.N. Padraic Naofa, S.N. Bride Naofa, Scoil Croi Iosa, Scoil Naomh Einde, Lakeview School, Rosedale School | Catholic | 16 | 4,859 |
| 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 |
| Galway & Roscommon ETBColáiste na Coiribe, Galway | Multi-denominational, Inter-denominational | 2 | 1,106 |
| 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 |
| 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 Salthill
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, 7 of these 26 schools have grown by 5% or more and 11 have shrunk as much; across Ireland the number of pupils changed by +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 Salthill
Here are the schools in Salthill or within 3 km of it, every one with its own page. There are no letters or results on these cards, because Ireland publishes none school by school.
Inspection reports for Salthill’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 30 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 Salthill
All post-primaries within 10 km; at about twelve, families choose and apply school by school
Within 10 km of Salthill there are 11 post-primary schools: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominican CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 564 | 0.6 km |
| Jesus & Mary Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 658 | 0.8 km |
| Coláiste EindeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | DEIS | 808 | 0.8 km |
| Coláiste Muire MáthairVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 738 | 1.1 km |
| Coláiste Iognáid S.J.Voluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 637 | 1.3 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 | 2 km |
| Coláiste na CoiribeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaeltacht school | 711 | 3.1 km |
| Galway Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 395 | 3.7 km |
| Coláiste Mhuirlinne/Merlin CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 710 | 6.6 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 Salthill
3 special schools serve the area: St Josephs Special Sch, Lakeview School and Rosedale School, 231 pupils between them. 8 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.
Salthill beside the 99 other Irish towns of 3,800 to 7,400 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caherdavin | 7,364 | 46 | 16,583 | 5 | 39% | 1 km |
| … | ||||||
| Inishkenny | 5,552 | 43 | 16,164 | 4 | 35% | 1.4 km |
| Roscrea | 5,542 | 8 | 1,763 | 0 | 50% | 0.5 km |
| Ardee | 5,478 | 5 | 2,252 | 0 | 60% | 0.8 km |
| Edmondstown | 5,451 | 57 | 23,063 | 6 | 12% | 1.1 km |
| Salthill | 5,445 | 30 | 10,795 | 4 | 23% | 0.6 km |
| Ballinlough | 5,435 | 79 | 23,116 | 7 | 47% | 0.6 km |
| Garryowen | 5,428 | 41 | 14,084 | 6 | 44% | 1 km |
| Galvone | 5,412 | 48 | 16,815 | 5 | 46% | 0.6 km |
| Ballybofey-Stranorlar | 5,406 | 7 | 2,400 | 0 | 57% | 0.6 km |
| … | ||||||
| Shanakiel | 3,804 | 52 | 16,547 | 5 | 54% | 0.6 km |
Among the 99 other towns, 51 have more pupils at their schools than Salthill does. 82 of the 100 towns have an all-Irish school within 3 km.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Salthill
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 Salthill had 10,260 pupils in 2015/16 and 10,795 in 2025/26. Galway City & Oranmore Educate Together Secondary School grew most: +924% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Salthill
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 Salthill
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salthill | 30 | 10,795 | 4 | 23% | 0.6 km |
| Taylor's Hill 0.9 km | 30 | 10,795 | 4 | 23% | 0.4 km |
| Claddagh 1.4 km | 31 | 11,252 | 4 | 32% | 0.5 km |
| Newcastle 1.8 km | 31 | 11,321 | 5 | 29% | 0.9 km |
| Rahoon 2.2 km | 29 | 10,562 | 5 | 21% | 1.6 km |
| Knocknacarra 2.2 km | 29 | 10,407 | 5 | 17% | 0.9 km |
| Woodquay and Nuns Island 2.2 km | 33 | 11,452 | 5 | 33% | 0.2 km |
Newcastle has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 5. Pupils around Salthill: +5% since 2019/20. Among the neighbours, Taylor's Hill led (+5%) and Newcastle trailed (+1%).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Salthill 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 Salthill
How many schools are there in Salthill?
In Salthill or within 3 km of it: 18 primary schools, 9 secondary schools and 3 special schools, with 10,795 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Salthill that teach through Irish?
Yes, 4: S.N. Fhursa, S.N. Iognaid and Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Salthill?
No: all 9 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Salthill?
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 Salthill?
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).