St Coen's National School
Merrymeeting, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow · A67 CY68 · Roll number 20208M
St Coen's National School is one of 7 primary schools in or within 3 km of Rathnew. Every school in and around Rathnew →
What stands out about St Coen's National School
- One of the larger primary schools: 328 pupils, against a typical 131.
- Teaches through English, with Irish as a subject.
- Growing: 328 pupils, 19% more than the 276 of 2019/20.
- In 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.
- Has special classes for children who need more support.
- Its patron is the Archbishop of Dublin; its ethos is Catholic.
Pupils over time
2016/17 to 2025/26St Coen's National School had 328 pupils in 2025/26, against 237 in 2016/17 (+38%). Girls are 45% of them. Its roll rose in 8 of the 9 years.
Department of Education enrolments at 30 September each year; girls and boys where the lists give them.
No letter for St Coen's 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 St Coen's 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 St Coen's 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 St Coen's National School
Every school admits under its own published admission policy; no admissions numbers are published.
Families apply to St Coen's 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.
It is in DEIS, so it has extra support for pupils from disadvantaged areas. 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: St Coen's National School has grown by 19% since 2019/20. All the schools around Rathnew together changed by +12%.
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, 3 have more pupils than St Coen's National School. Since 2019/20 its roll has changed by +19%; 1 of the 6 grew faster.
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Coen's National School | 328 | +19% | Catholic | English | ✓ | |
| Gaelscoil Chill Mhantáin | 285 | +7% | Inter-denominational | All in Irish | 0.1 km | |
| Wicklow Educate Together NS | 377 | −8% | Multi-denominational | English | 1.2 km | |
| Glebe N.S. | 210 | +3% | Church of Ireland | English | 2.1 km | |
| Padraig Naofa N.S. | 377 | +25% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 2.2 km |
| Scoil an Choroin Mhuire | 432 | −6% | Catholic | English | 2.7 km | |
| Scoil na Coróine Mhuire | 309 | −16% | Catholic | English | 3.6 km |
The other 75 primary schools in Co. Wicklow
| School | Pupils | Since 2019/20 | Ethos | Language | DEIS | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuns Cross N.S. | 194 | +23% | Church of Ireland | English | 4.7 km | |
| Glenealy 1 N.S. | 116 | −3% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 5.8 km |
| Moneystown N.S. | 108 | −7% | Catholic | English | 8.4 km | |
| S.N. Muire Mxd | 37 | −8% | Catholic | English | 8.4 km | |
| St Francis N.S. | 90 | −14% | Church of Ireland | English | 9.5 km | |
| Brittas Bay Mxd N.S. | 129 | −9% | Catholic | English | 9.8 km | |
| Woodstock Educate Together N.S. | 150 | – | Multi-denominational | English | 12 km | |
| Newtownmountkennedy Primary School | 368 | +1% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 12 km |
| St Saviours N.S. | 124 | +17% | Church of Ireland | English | 12 km | |
| Clochar Muire N.S. | 176 | +23% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 12 km |
| Scoil San Eoin | 37 | +12% | Catholic | English | 12 km | |
| Rathdrum Boys N.S. | 172 | +20% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 12 km |
| St Laurence O'Toole's N.S. | 254 | −18% | Catholic | English | 13 km | |
| Kilcoole Primary School | 553 | −9% | Catholic | English | 14 km | |
| Greystones Community NS | 412 | +91% | Multi-denominational | English | 15 km | |
| Caoimhin Naofa N.S. | 123 | −5% | Catholic | English | 15 km | |
| Delgany N.S. | 209 | −8% | Church of Ireland | English | 16 km | |
| St Laurences N.S. | 666 | −3% | Catholic | English | 17 km | |
| Padraig Naofa N.S. | 172 | −7% | Catholic | English | 17 km | |
| St Brigids School | 396 | −20% | Catholic | English | 18 km | |
| St Patrick's National School | 385 | +41% | Church of Ireland | English | 18 km | |
| Scoil Naomh Caoimhghin | 459 | −9% | Catholic | English | 18 km | |
| Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath | 227 | −48% | Inter-denominational | All in Irish | 18 km | |
| Greystones Educate Together National School | 440 | −5% | Multi-denominational | English | 18 km | |
| Kilmacanogue N.S. | 204 | −17% | Catholic | English | 20 km | |
| St Josephs N.S. | 500 | −20% | Catholic | English | 21 km | |
| St Kevin's Ballycoog N.S. | 21 | −9% | Catholic | English | 22 km | |
| An Chroi Ro Naofa N.S. | 204 | −22% | Catholic | English | 22 km | |
| St John's Senior School | 323 | −24% | Catholic | Some subjects in Irish | ✓ | 22 km |
| St Michael's and St Peter's Junior School | 250 | −31% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 22 km |
| St Fergal's National School | 373 | −11% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 22 km |
| St Andrews N.S. | 204 | −4% | Church of Ireland | English | 22 km | |
| Bray School Project N.S. | 223 | −7% | Multi-denominational | English | 23 km | |
| Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhoir | 242 | −33% | Inter-denominational | All in Irish | 23 km | |
| Scoil Chualann | 185 | −19% | Catholic | All in Irish | 23 km | |
| Carysfort Mxd N.S. | 197 | −7% | Church of Ireland | English | 23 km | |
| Powerscourt N.S. | 114 | +24% | Church of Ireland | English | 23 km | |
| Cronan Naofa N.S. | 388 | −24% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| Gaelscoil Ui Cheadaigh | 166 | −27% | Catholic | All in Irish | 24 km | |
| Scoil Padraig Naofa | 680 | −13% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| S.N. Muire Is Gearard | 206 | +4% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| S.N. Padraig Naofa | 47 | −32% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Padraig | 76 | −22% | Catholic | English | 24 km | |
| St. Peter's Primary School | 156 | −7% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 24 km |
| Ravenswell Primary School | 468 | +16% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 25 km |
| Annacurra N.S. | 122 | −10% | Catholic | English | 25 km | |
| Naomh Brid N.S. | 63 | −5% | Catholic | English | 31 km | |
| Rathcoyle N.S. | 50 | −32% | Catholic | English | 31 km | |
| Lacken Mxd N.S. | 91 | −13% | Catholic | English | 32 km | |
| Moin an Bhealaigh N.S. | 110 | +2% | Catholic | English | 33 km | |
| Tinahely N.S. | 133 | +15% | Catholic | English | 33 km | |
| Kilcommon N.S. | 94 | +2% | Church of Ireland | English | 34 km | |
| Crossbridge N.S. | 45 | −21% | Catholic | English | 34 km | |
| Coolfancy N.S. | 68 | −23% | Catholic | English | 35 km | |
| Kilbride N.S. | 97 | −2% | Catholic | English | 35 km | |
| Blessington Educate Together NS | 95 | +79% | Multi-denominational | English | 36 km | |
| Donard N.S. | 188 | +27% | Catholic | English | 36 km | |
| Kiltegan N.S. | 9 | – | Church of Ireland | English | 37 km | |
| S.N. Muire | 237 | −13% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| S.N. Mhuire Senior School | 296 | −12% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Donaghmore N.S. | 25 | −31% | Church of Ireland | English | 37 km | |
| Hollywood N.S. | 126 | −15% | Catholic | English | 37 km | |
| Gaelscoil na Lochanna | 151 | −24% | Inter-denominational | All in Irish | 37 km | |
| Blessington 1 N.S. | 195 | −9% | Church of Ireland | English | 38 km | |
| S.N. Naomh Brid | 77 | +8% | Catholic | English | 38 km | |
| Scoil Mhuire na nAird | 73 | −14% | Catholic | English | 39 km | |
| S.N. Muire | 67 | −8% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 40 km |
| Shillelagh No 1 N.S. | 23 | −23% | Church of Ireland | English | 41 km | |
| All Saints National School | 23 | +10% | Church of Ireland | English | ✓ | 42 km |
| Carnew N.S. | 185 | −9% | Catholic | English | ✓ | 42 km |
| Scoil Naomh Iosaf | 393 | +12% | Catholic | English | 42 km | |
| S N Nicolais Naofa | 250 | +7% | Catholic | English | 42 km | |
| Jonathan Swift N.S. | 24 | −43% | Church of Ireland | English | 43 km | |
| Stratford Lodge N.S. | 67 | −11% | Church of Ireland | English | 43 km | |
| Grange Con N.S. | 23 | −26% | Catholic | English | 45 km |
Living in Rathnew
The town’s figures, not this street’s.
Homes in the A67 Eircode area
Housing in Rathnew →The median sale price rose from €418,800 in 2023 to €420,000 in 2025 (+0%).
New against second-hand, 2023 to 2025
Property Price Register sales in the A67 Eircode routing area, 2023 to 2025.
Renting in Co. Wicklow
Cost of living in Rathnew →New tenancies in Co. Wicklow averaged €1,730 a month in 2025, against €1,635 in 2024 (+6%).
Residential Tenancies Board rent index, new tenancies, 2024 and 2025.
Location
Directions ↗Rathnew, A67 CY68
Primary schools near St Coen's 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 St Coen's National School
Is St Coen's 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 St Coen's National School have?
328 pupils in 2025/26. That is +19% since 2019/20.
Does St Coen's National School teach through Irish?
No: St Coen's National School teaches in English, with Irish as a subject.
Who runs St Coen's National School?
St Coen's National School has a Catholic ethos. Its patron is Archbishop of Dublin.
How do pupils get a place at St Coen's 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 St Coen's National School?
The nearest are Gaelscoil Chill Mhantáin (0.1 km), Wicklow Educate Together NS (1.2 km) and Glebe N.S. (2.1 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 Rathnew; 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).