Ballybay National School
Kiltoom, Athlone, Co Roscommon · N37 RC82 · Roll number 19534S
Ballybay National School is one of 2 primary schools in or within 3 km of Knockcroghery. Every school in and around Knockcroghery →
What stands out about Ballybay National School
- 224 pupils, near the middle for primary schools in Ireland (the median is 131).
- About as many pupils as in 2019/20 (+7%).
- Teaches through English, with Irish as a subject.
- Has special classes for children who need more support.
- Its patron is the Bishop of Elphin; its ethos is Catholic.
- Outside Knockcroghery’s outline, 12 km away; listed with Knockcroghery, the nearest town in its county.
Pupils over time
2015/16 to 2025/26Ballybay National School had 224 pupils in 2025/26, down from 225 in 2015/16 (−0%). Girls are 54% of them. Its largest roll was 231, in 2016/17. Its roll rose in 4 of the 10 years.
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September each year; girls and boys where the lists give them.
No letter for Ballybay National School
Ireland publishes no exam results school by school, and section 53 of the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing schools by them, so this school has no letter and nothing here ranks it. Its facts are the Department of Education’s; its inspection reports are linked below.
What the Department of Education does publish for Ballybay National School is on this page: its pupils each September since 2015/16, girls and boys, its patron and ethos, whether it teaches through Irish, whether it is in DEIS, and its inspection reports.
Newspapers print lists of how many of a school’s leavers go on to college. Those count destinations, not exam results, and depend on who a school takes in; we don’t use them.
Inspection reports on Ballybay National School
The Department of Education’s Inspectorate visits schools and publishes its reports. The reports describe what inspectors saw; they give no overall grade, and we don’t make one. Reports for this school on gov.ie ↗
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.
Getting a place at Ballybay National School
Every school admits under its own published admission policy; no admissions numbers are published.
Families apply to Ballybay National School directly. Children can start once they are four and must be in school by six; the school’s yearly admission notice gives the dates for applying and for its decisions.
A school with more applicants than places admits on the criteria in its admission policy, often brothers and sisters, the area it serves and, for post-primary schools, its feeder primaries. A family refused a place can appeal.
Places in special classes and special schools are allocated with the National Council for Special Education.
No figures on applications are published, but the roll shows demand: Ballybay National School has grown by 7% since 2019/20. All the schools around Knockcroghery together changed by −5%.
Pupils since 2019/20
Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018; Department of Education enrolments 2019/20 and 2025/26 (preliminary).
Side by side with the nearest primary schools
2025/26The nearest schools of the same kind, as the crow flies: their pupils, ethos and language. No results: none are published.
Of the 6 nearest primary schools, 2 have more pupils than Ballybay National School. Since 2019/20 its roll has changed by +7%; 1 of the 6 grew faster.
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballybay National School | 224 | +7% | Catholic | English | ||
| S N Cluain na Cille | 399 | −7% | Catholic | English | 4.4 km | |
| S.N. an Cusan | 413 | −2% | Catholic | English | 5.3 km | |
| Brideswell N.S. | 68 | +17% | Catholic | English | 5.5 km | |
| S.N. Deaghan O Ceallaigh | 77 | −28% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 5.8 km |
| Athlone N.S. | 56 | −13% | Church of Ireland | English | 5.8 km | |
| S.N. Cnoc an Samhraidh | 223 | −16% | Catholic | English | 6.1 km |
The other 82 primary schools in Co. Roscommon
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. an Gleann Duibh | 147 | +10% | Catholic | English | 6.2 km | |
| Carrick N.S. | 41 | −40% | Catholic | English | 6.9 km | |
| S.N. Ronain | 34 | −8% | Catholic | English | 8.3 km | |
| Lecarrow Community National School | 28 | – | Multi-denominational | English | 8.9 km | |
| S.N. Ard Cianain | 77 | −25% | Catholic | English | 9 km | |
| S N Cor na Fola B | 223 | −8% | Catholic | English | 10 km | |
| Lismoil N.S. | 12 | – | Catholic | English | 11 km | |
| Ballintleva N.S. | 46 | −19% | Catholic | English | 11 km | |
| S.N. Rath Aradh | 17 | – | Catholic | English | 11 km | |
| Taughmaconnell N.S. | 105 | +2% | Catholic | English | 12 km | |
| Clonown N.S. | 28 | −3% | Catholic | English | 12 km | |
| Camcloon N.S. | 55 | −15% | Catholic | English | 13 km | |
| S.N. Cnoc an Chrocaire | 136 | −14% | Catholic | English | 13 km | |
| Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal | 13 | – | Catholic | English | 15 km | |
| Tisrara National School | 54 | +29% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 15 km |
| S.N. Naomh Seosamh | 121 | +7% | Catholic | English | 16 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Ciaran | 107 | +0% | Catholic | English | 17 km | |
| Ballyforan Mixed N.S. | 59 | −2% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 18 km |
| Scoil Mhuire, | 115 | +25% | Catholic | English | 18 km | |
| Mount Talbot N.S. | 24 | – | Catholic | English | 20 km | |
| Athleague N.S. | 105 | +40% | Catholic | English | 20 km | |
| Kilteevan N.S. | 32 | +0% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 20 km |
| Gaelscoil de hIde | 149 | −5% | Catholic | All in Irish | 22 km | |
| St Cóman's Wood Primary School | 605 | −5% | Catholic | English | 22 km | |
| Roxboro N.S. | 226 | +10% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| Ciaran Naofa | 60 | −19% | Catholic | English | 25 km | |
| S.N. O Dubhlain | 15 | −55% | Catholic | English | 25 km | |
| Cloontuskert National School | 82 | +28% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 26 km |
| Clover Hill N.S. | 51 | −22% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 26 km |
| Clooncagh N.S. | 20 | −26% | Catholic | English | 29 km | |
| Scoil Bhríde | 126 | +18% | Catholic | English | 30 km | |
| Lisaniskey N.S. | 108 | +11% | Catholic | English | 31 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Ceitheach | 13 | −55% | Catholic | English | 32 km | |
| Whitehall N.S. | 93 | −23% | Catholic | English | 33 km | |
| St Mary's Primary | 136 | +9% | Catholic | English | 35 km | |
| S.N. Baile Ui Fhidhne | 96 | −2% | Catholic | English | 36 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Padraig | 44 | −10% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 36 km |
| Cloonfour N.S. | 42 | +75% | Catholic | English | 36 km | |
| Slatta N.S. | 8 | −69% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Tulsk N.S. | 77 | −10% | Catholic | English | 38 km | |
| St. Bride's N.S. | 89 | +2% | Catholic | English | 39 km | |
| Castleplunkett N.S. | 44 | −19% | Catholic | English | 39 km | |
| S.N. Cill Trostain | 45 | – | Catholic | English | 40 km | |
| Clooniquin N.S. | 44 | +26% | Catholic | English | 41 km | |
| Rooskey N.S. | 160 | +33% | Catholic | English | 41 km | |
| Abbeycarton N.S. | 138 | −13% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 44 km |
| Tarmon N.S. | 276 | +54% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 44 km |
| S.N. Naomh Padraig | 18 | −40% | Catholic | English | 45 km | |
| S.N. Pol Naofa | 66 | −6% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 46 km |
| Aughrim N.S. | 31 | −24% | Catholic | English | 46 km | |
| St Annes Con N.S. | 141 | +17% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 46 km |
| Threen N.S. | 35 | −8% | Catholic | English | 47 km | |
| Ballanagare N.S. | 57 | −5% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 48 km |
| Dangan NS | 92 | +12% | Catholic | English | 48 km | |
| S.N. Cruachain | 173 | −2% | Catholic | English | 51 km | |
| Ballinlough N.S. | 35 | – | Church of Ireland | English | ✓ | 52 km |
| Cloonbonnif N.S. | 24 | −8% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 52 km |
| Granlahan G N.S. | 46 | +18% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 52 km |
| S.N. Padraig Naofa | 104 | −1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 52 km |
| S.N. Naomh Eoin | 47 | +57% | Catholic | English | 52 km | |
| Fairymount N.S. | 39 | +34% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 53 km |
| Carrick Mixed N.S. | 80 | −2% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 53 km |
| S.N. Mhuire Lourdes | 57 | +36% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 54 km |
| S.N. Michil Naofa | 24 | −4% | Catholic | English | 54 km | |
| Cloonfad N.S. | 125 | −22% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 55 km |
| Naomh Atrachta | 36 | −8% | Catholic | English | 56 km | |
| Grange N.S. | 32 | +10% | Catholic | English | 56 km | |
| Don N.S. | 38 | −33% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 57 km |
| Tibohine N.S. | 56 | +10% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 57 km |
| Gorthaganny N.S. | 45 | −45% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 58 km |
| N Micheal agus Padraig | 156 | +27% | Catholic | English | 59 km | |
| Abbey Primary School | 427 | – | Catholic | English | 60 km | |
| S.N. Lios A Cuill M | 94 | −1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 60 km |
| S.N. Paroisteach | 24 | +4% | Church of Ireland | English | 60 km | |
| St Attractas N.S. | 281 | +19% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 62 km |
| S.N. Naomh Mhuire | 9 | – | Catholic | English | 62 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Treasa | 89 | −2% | Catholic | English | 65 km | |
| S.N. Brusna | 66 | +14% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 65 km |
| S.N. Cill Ronain | 37 | +68% | Catholic | English | 66 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Padraig | 22 | −39% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 68 km |
| Strabaggan N.S. | 25 | +4% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 68 km |
| S.N. Lasair Naofa | 13 | – | Catholic | English | ✓ | 70 km |
Living in Knockcroghery
The town’s figures, not this street’s.
Homes in the F42 Eircode area
Housing in Knockcroghery →The median sale price rose from €220,000 in 2023 to €259,800 in 2025 (+18%).
New against second-hand, 2023 to 2025
Property Price Register sales in the F42 Eircode routing area, 2023 to 2025.
Renting in Co. Roscommon
Cost of living in Knockcroghery →New tenancies in Co. Roscommon averaged €1,092 a month in 2025, against €1,000 in 2024 (+9%).
Residential Tenancies Board rent index, new tenancies, 2024 and 2025.
Location
Directions ↗near Knockcroghery, N37 RC82
Primary schools near Ballybay National School
Nearest first, as the crow flies, up to 25 km. Each school’s own admission policy decides who gets a place.
Questions about Ballybay National School
Is Ballybay National School a good school?
We don’t grade it: Ireland publishes no exam results school by school, and section 53 of the Education Act 1998 restricts comparing them. Its inspection reports on gov.ie, a visit and a talk with the principal will tell you more than any table could.
How many pupils does Ballybay National School have?
224 pupils in 2025/26. That is +7% since 2019/20.
Does Ballybay National School teach through Irish?
No: Ballybay National School teaches in English, with Irish as a subject.
Who runs Ballybay National School?
Ballybay National School has a Catholic ethos. Its patron is Bishop of Elphin.
How do pupils get a place at Ballybay National School?
Apply to the school directly. It publishes an admission policy and a yearly admission notice with its dates; if more children apply than it has places, it admits on the criteria in its policy.
Which schools of the same kind are near Ballybay National School?
The nearest are S N Cluain na Cille (4.4 km), S.N. an Cusan (5.3 km) and Brideswell N.S. (5.5 km).
Sources: Department of Education, school lists 2025/26 (preliminary) and enrolments since 2015/16, CC BY 4.0 · inspection reports on gov.ie, linked by roll number. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Facts from the Department of Education’s school lists. Listed with Knockcroghery; nothing here rates the school.
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).