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Planning area in Donegal

Letterkenny

Schools in County Donegal in this planning area.

All planning areas in Ireland

Other planning areas in Donegal Carndonagh · 21 Buncrana · 10 Stranorlar · 16 Donegal · 12 Raphoe · 12 Milford · 17 Ballyshannon–Donegal · 10 Falcarragh · 13 Gweedore · 8 Glenties · 14 Dungloe · 8 Killybegs · 4 Carrick · 4 Tory Island · 1
Schools
21
of 171 in Donegal
Pupils
4,914
26% of Donegal's pupils
Since 2015/16
+7.9%
4,556 pupils in 2015/16
Average school size
234.0
Donegal: 110.4
Average class size
23.73
Donegal: 21.47

Each year counts the schools in this planning area today, plus any that closed from 2023/24. Dotted lines bridge 1983/84 to 1992/93. 1974/75 is left out because that year's source file is missing five counties.

Earlier years are incomplete

The Department's files only record planning areas from 2023/24, so schools that closed or amalgamated before then aren't counted in any area. The further back you go, the more pupils are missing, and an amalgamation can look like a sudden rise. Across County Donegal, schools with no planning area had 0.3% of pupils in 2015/16, 2.1% in 2005/06 and 24.2% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

4,914

−51 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

21

17 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

234.0

141.6 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

23.73

+0.12 on 2024/25

2006/072025/26

Pupils in these schools

Junior infants, girls and boys, and Irish-medium schools over time, for the same schools as the trends above.

Area figures by year (CSV) Each school by year (CSV)

Junior infants

Pupils starting school each year. Class-by-class figures start in 2020/21. 558 in 2025/26, −11 on 2024/25.

Girls and boys

From 1976/77: earlier files don't split every school's pupils into girls and boys.

Irish-medium schools

Pupils in schools that teach all subjects through Irish (3 schools today). 601 pupils in 2025/26, 12.2% of the area's pupils, against 14.5% in 2015/16. Each school counts under its current classification for every year.

Growing and falling since 2015/16

Each school's change in pupils over 10 years, from 2015/16 to 2025/26. A change of 10% or more either way counts as growing or falling.

Every school's change

21 schools with figures for both years

5fell by 10% or more
11within 10%
5grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 2Down 10 to 25% · 3Within 10% · 11Up 10 to 25% · 2Up 25% or more · 3

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 Scoil ChoilmcilleLetterkenny, Co. Donegal 355 → 658 +85.4%
  2. 2 Letterkenny Educate Together NSLetterkenny, Co. Donegal 228 → 420 +84.2%
  3. 3 S N Naomh ColmchilleManorcunningham, Co. Donegal 73 → 81 +11.0%
  4. 4 S N Muire gan SmalLetterkenny, Co. Donegal 444 → 480 +8.1%
  5. 5 S N Naomh ColmchilleKilmacrennan, Co. Donegal 227 → 231 +1.8%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 Scoil an tStratha MhóirLeitir Ceanainn, Co. Donegal 89 → 64 −28.1%
  2. 2 Ray N SManorcunningham, Co. Donegal 63 → 51 −19.0%
  3. 3 Scoil CholmcilleNewtowncunningham, Co. Donegal 233 → 199 −14.6%
  4. 4 Scoil CholmcilleAn Tearmann, Co. Donegal 140 → 127 −9.3%
  5. 5 St Patricks N SLetterkenny, Co. Donegal 459 → 426 −7.2%

Ranked by percentage change. Only schools with 50 or more pupils in 2015/16 are ranked, leaving out any still filling their classes then, because a few pupils make a big percentage in a small or new school. An amalgamation or a new school nearby can also explain a big rise or fall.

Class sizes

Mainstream class groups only. The source does not identify which standard/year group each class group belongs to.

Average class size
23.73
Mainstream classes
202
Classes of 30 or more
28
Schools with a class of 30+
8

Teachers

Teachers in the 21 mainstream primary schools here, 2006/07 to 2025/26. Class teachers are counted every year; all teaching posts where they're known.

How we count teachers
Class teachers in 2025/26
202
Up 55 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 24%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 323
Estimate: 202 class teachers, 14 principals and deputies, 87 special education and 20 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
262
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
1 / 5
1 school gained a class teacher, 5 lost one

Class teachers since 2006/07

One for each mainstream class, every school year

Special schools and special classes

2 special schools in Letterkenny, and the special classes in its 21 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools
Pupils in special schools
274
In 2 schools, up from 165 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26
20
In 9 of 21 schools. 11 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
23
In 10 schools: 3 new classes, 1 school with its first
Autism classes
16
80% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In Letterkenny's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

  • 2020/21 11
  • 2021/22 12
  • 2022/23 13
  • 2023/24 17
  • 2024/25 17
  • 2025/26 20
  • 2026/27 23

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special school Pupils Since 2015/16 Teaching posts SNAs
Little Angels Spec SCHLetterkenny · Moderate general learning disability 145
+54.3%
26 64
St Bernadette Spec SCHLetterkenny · Mild general learning disability 129
+81.7%
16 26.5

Sources: Department of Education enrolment lists; NCSE special class lists and special school allocations (CC BY 4.0).

Schools

21 schools, largest first.

Change over

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Roll number
Scoil ChoilmcilleLetterkenny 18625Q 658
+85.4%
24 26.96 28 0
Scoil Naomh FiachraLetterkenny 12077E 519
+0.8%
20 25.95 32 6
S N Muire gan SmalLetterkenny 18052S 480
+8.1%
19 24.95 30 10
S N Talamh na CoilleLetterkenny 17728V 467
−3.1%
19 22.58 28 0
St Patricks N SLetterkenny 16672P 426
−7.2%
17 24.35 31 3
Letterkenny Educate Together NSLetterkenny 20235P 420
+84.2%
17 23.65 31 2
Gaelscoil AdhamhnainLeitir Ceanainn 19971R 410
−4.7%
16 25.62 30 2
Glenswilly N SLetterkenny 19313C 262
−5.4%
11 23.27 32 3
S N Naomh ColmchilleKilmacrennan 17036P 231
+1.8%
9 24.33 30 1
S N Baile RaighinLetterkenny 19411C 215
−3.2%
9 23.22 29 0
Scoil CholmcilleNewtowncunningham 16820E 199
−14.6%
8 24.88 32 1
Scoil CholmcilleAn Tearmann 14194S 127
−9.3%
6 19.17 26 0
Scoil Naomh ProinnseasManorcunningham 17729A 119
−2.5%
5 23.80 26 0
Moyle N SNewtowncunningham 19633U 81
−5.8%
4 20.25 26 0
S N Naomh ColmchilleManorcunningham 16995Q 81
+11.0%
4 20.25 26 0
Scoil an tStratha MhóirLeitir Ceanainn 15208I 64
−28.1%
3 21.33 28 0
Ray N SManorcunningham 14941G 51
−19.0%
3 17.00 19 0
S N TriantaLetterkenny 18319J 33
+43.5%
2 16.50 22 0
Cashelshanaghan N SLetterkenny 15170J 28
−17.6%
2 14.00 14 0
Scoil Naomh SeosamhLetterkenny 18058H 24
−35.1%
2 12.00 14 0
Gartan N SLetterkenny 13755E 19
+11.8%
2 9.50 11 0