Photo: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.08 of the 14 schools around Dunboyne are multi-denominational
Of the post-primaries around Dunboyne, 0% are single-sex, close to Co. Meath’s towns (0%) and below Irish towns (39%). Primary schools here average 425 pupils, against 175 across Ireland. 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 Dunboyne’s schools
A choice beyond the church schools
Most schools in Ireland have a church patron; here more of them are multi- or inter-denominational than in most places (14% across Ireland). They are St Peter's College (1,214), Coláiste Pobail Setanta (1,079), Hansfield ETSS (867) and Scoil Ghrainne Community National School (585), and 4 more. Who runs them ↓
A wide choice at twelve
33 post-primary schools lie within 10 km, so families here have a real choice at twelve; each admits on its own policy. The nearest: St Peter's College (0.3 km), Coláiste Pobail Setanta (3.3 km) and Hansfield ETSS (3.4 km). Post-primary choices ↓
Few schools in DEIS
DEIS, which gives schools in disadvantaged areas more teachers and money, includes just 1 of the 14 schools here, against 30% of schools across Ireland. The one in DEIS: Castaheany Educate Together NS (362). Who goes there ↓
From the Department of Education’s school lists: facts, not judgements of how well a school teaches.
Who runs Dunboyne’s schools
Ethos as listed for 2025/26: each bar splits the schools by who runs them.
5 of Dunboyne’s 14 schools have a Catholic ethos, against 80% across Ireland. The patrons with most schools here: Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB (3), Archbishop of Dublin (3) and Educate Together (3). 1 of the 14 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 14 schools in and around Dunboyne
Every school in Dunboyne or within 3 km of its outline, each linked to its own page. These schools carry no letter or result: Ireland doesn’t release them school by school.
Where the 14 schools in and around Dunboyne 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 Dunboyne’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 Dunboyne
Schools by the language they teach in; the black tick is Ireland’s share.
1 of Dunboyne’s 14 schools teach every subject through Irish: Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg.
Who Dunboyne’s schools serve
Shares of the pupils at the area’s schools, beside Co. Meath’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 Dunboyne | Co. Meath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at DEIS schools | 5% | 14% | 27% |
| Pupils at all-Irish schools | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Girls | 48% | 49% | 49% |
| Post-primary pupils at single-sex schools | 0% | 22% | 29% |
| Post-primary pupils at fee-paying schools | 0% | 0% | 6% |
5% of the pupils around Dunboyne are at a DEIS school, fewer than the 27% across Ireland (14% in Co. Meath). Where this area differs most from Ireland is post-primary pupils at single-sex schools, at 0% against 29%. Castaheany Educate Together NS, with 362 pupils, is the largest school here in DEIS.
Each of the 14 schools
| School | Pupils | Girls | DEIS | All-Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's CollegePost-primary · ETB | 1,214 | 49% | ||
| Dunboyne Senior N.S.Primary | 470 | 49% | ||
| Dunboyne Junior N.S.Primary | 397 | 51% | ||
| Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓgPrimary | 360 | 51% | ✓ | |
| St Peters National SchoolPrimary | 97 | 48% | ||
| Scoil Ghrainne Community National SchoolPrimary | 585 | 48% | ||
| Coláiste Pobail SetantaPost-primary · ETB | 1,079 | 47% | ||
| Mary Mother of Hope Senior NSPrimary | 429 | 42% | ||
| Mary Mother of Hope Junior National SchoolPrimary | 349 | 46% | ||
| Castaheany Educate Together NSPrimary | 362 | 49% | ✓ | |
| St Benedicts National SchoolPrimary | 622 | 50% | ||
| Hansfield Educate Together National SchoolPrimary | 576 | 50% | ||
| Hansfield ETSSPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | 867 | 48% | ||
| Eriu Community CollegePost-primary · ETB | 193 | 44% |
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.
The 7 patrons of Dunboyne’s schools
The patron owns the school and sets its ethos; a board of management runs it day to day.
Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB is patron of 3 of the 14 schools around Dunboyne, which teach 24% of their pupils; 7 patrons run them in all. The local Education and Training Board runs 4. Educate Together runs 3.
| Patron | Ethos | Schools | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETBColáiste Pobail Setanta, Scoil Ghrainne Community, Eriu | Multi-denominational | 3 | 1,857 |
| Educate TogetherHansfield ETSS, Hansfield Educate Together, Castaheany Educate Together NS | Multi-denominational | 3 | 1,805 |
| Archbishop of DublinSt Benedicts, Mary Mother of Hope Senior NS, Mary Mother of Hope Junior | Catholic | 3 | 1,400 |
| Bishop of MeathDunboyne Senior, Dunboyne Junior | Catholic | 2 | 867 |
| Louth & Meath ETBSt Peter's College | Inter-denominational | 1 | 1,214 |
| An Foras PátrúnachtaGaelscoil Thulach na nÓg | Inter-denominational | 1 | 360 |
| Bishop of Meath & Kildare COISt Peters | Church of Ireland | 1 | 97 |
Department of Education school lists: patron 2024/25, ethos 2025/26.
How children get a place in Dunboyne
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, 3 of these 13 schools have grown by 5% or more and 7 have shrunk as much; across Ireland the number of pupils changed by +5%.
All 13 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.
Inspection reports for Dunboyne’s schools
The Department of Education’s Inspectorate: every school’s reports linked, none rated
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 14 schools below links its own.
| School | Reports on gov.ie |
|---|---|
| St Peter's CollegePost-primary · ETB | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Dunboyne Senior N.S.Primary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Dunboyne Junior N.S.Primary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓgPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| St Peters National SchoolPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Scoil Ghrainne Community National SchoolPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Coláiste Pobail SetantaPost-primary · ETB | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Mary Mother of Hope Senior NSPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Mary Mother of Hope Junior National SchoolPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Castaheany Educate Together NSPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| St Benedicts National SchoolPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Hansfield Educate Together National SchoolPrimary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Hansfield ETSSPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Inspection reports ↗ |
| Eriu Community CollegePost-primary · ETB | Inspection reports ↗ |
Department of Education Inspectorate reports on gov.ie, found by each school’s roll number.
Post-primary schools within reach of Dunboyne
Post-primary schools within 10 km of the town; children move at about twelve, and families apply to each school
Within 10 km of Dunboyne there are 33 post-primary schools: 18 ETB schools, 9 voluntary secondary schools and 6 community schools. Of these, 5 are single-sex: 2 for girls and 3 for boys. Fees are charged at 3 of them. Every subject is taught through Irish at 2 of them.
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,214 | 0.3 km |
| Coláiste Pobail SetantaETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,079 | 3.3 km |
| Hansfield ETSSVoluntary secondary · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 867 | 3.4 km |
| Eriu Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 193 | 3.5 km |
| Hartstown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,120 | 4.4 km |
| Confey Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 934 | 5.1 km |
| Blakestown Community SchoolCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 563 | 5.2 km |
| Scoil Phobail Chuil MhinCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,014 | 6 km |
| Coláiste ChiaráinCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 676 | 6.2 km |
| Luttrellstown Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,027 | 6.3 km |
| Rath Dara Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 323 | 6.4 km |
| St Joseph's CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | – | 934 | 6.9 km |
All 33 post-primary schools within reach
| School | Takes | Also | Pupils | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coláiste Phádraig CBSVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 745 | 7.2 km |
| Le Cheile Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 944 | 7.3 km |
| Castleknock Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,318 | 7.4 km |
| Lucan Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 966 | 7.8 km |
| Coláiste Cois LifeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 592 | 7.9 km |
| Celbridge Community SchoolCommunity school · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 712 | 8.2 km |
| Salesian CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | – | 880 | 8.4 km |
| St. Kevin's Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 525 | 8.4 km |
| Maynooth Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,013 | 8.6 km |
| The Kings HospitalVoluntary secondary · Church of Ireland | Girls and boys | Fee-paying, Boarding | 732 | 8.7 km |
| Castleknock CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Boys | Fee-paying | 771 | 8.8 km |
| Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh NuadETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | Gaelcholáiste | 154 | 8.9 km |
| Maynooth Post Primary SchoolETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,018 | 9 km |
| Adamstown Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 981 | 9 km |
| Ratoath CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 1,132 | 9.2 km |
| Edmund Rice CollegeVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls and boys | – | 912 | 9.3 km |
| Kishoge Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 937 | 9.5 km |
| Griffeen Community CollegeETB · Multi-denominational | Girls and boys | – | 576 | 9.5 km |
| Collinstown Park Community CollegeETB · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 630 | 9.8 km |
| Phobailscoil IosoldeCommunity school · Inter-denominational | Girls and boys | DEIS | 764 | 9.9 km |
| Mount Sackville Secondary SchoolVoluntary secondary · Catholic | Girls | Fee-paying | 636 | 10 km |
Department of Education post-primary list 2025/26; straight-line distances from the town’s centre point.
Special schools and classes around Dunboyne
No special school is in or near Dunboyne. 8 of the 10 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.
Dunboyne beside the 96 other Irish towns of 5,000 to 9,700 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donabate | 9,669 | 6 | 2,087 | 1 | 0% | 0.3 km |
| … | ||||||
| Temple Bar | 7,276 | 116 | 27,705 | 10 | 51% | 0.5 km |
| Newcastle West | 7,209 | 8 | 2,648 | 1 | 38% | 0.6 km |
| Turner's Cross | 7,208 | 77 | 24,127 | 7 | 44% | 0.3 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 |
| … | ||||||
| Glounthaune | 5,000 | 32 | 10,210 | 4 | 19% | 3.7 km |
Of these 96 other towns, 58 count more pupils at their schools than Dunboyne. 86 of the 97 towns have an all-Irish school within 3 km.
Department of Education school lists 2025/26 (preliminary); CSO Census 2022 populations.
Pupil numbers around Dunboyne
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 Dunboyne had 7,234 pupils in 2015/16 and 7,600 in 2025/26. Hansfield ETSS grew most: +34% since 2019/20.
Pupils at schools in and around Dunboyne
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 Dunboyne
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunboyne | 14 | 7,600 | 1 | 7% | 0.3 km |
| Clonee 2.2 km | 25 | 12,320 | 2 | 28% | 1.3 km |
| Ongar 3.2 km | 42 | 22,425 | 3 | 21% | 0.3 km |
| Clonsilla 4.1 km | 56 | 29,411 | 3 | 21% | 0.6 km |
| Mulhuddart 5.5 km | 50 | 26,364 | 3 | 24% | 0.9 km |
| Leixlip 5.8 km | 29 | 13,767 | 1 | 0% | 0.4 km |
| Hollystown 5.9 km | 68 | 22,939 | 3 | 50% | 1.9 km |
Ongar has the most schools teaching through Irish nearby: 3. Of Dunboyne’s neighbours, Leixlip saw the most growth in pupils since 2019/20 (+6%) and Clonee the least (−4%); Dunboyne itself: −0%.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Every school in Dunboyne 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 Dunboyne
How many schools are there in Dunboyne?
In Dunboyne or within 3 km of it: 10 primary schools and 4 secondary schools, with 7,600 pupils between them.
Are there schools in Dunboyne that teach through Irish?
Yes, 1: Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg teach every subject through Irish.
Are there fee-paying secondary schools near Dunboyne?
No: all 4 secondary schools here are free.
What is the best school in Dunboyne?
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 Dunboyne?
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).