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Planning area in Galway

Galway City

Schools in County Galway in this planning area.

All planning areas in Ireland

Other planning areas in Galway Athenry · 17 Tuam · 19 Oranmore · 5 Loughrea · 12 Ballinasloe · 12 Gort · 11 Castleblakeney–Mountbellew · 13 Spiddal–Inverin · 6 Kinvara · 5 Headford · 7 Glenamaddy · 8 Portumna · 8 Clifden · 13 Carraroe · 8 Oughterard · 4 Dunmore · 4 Ballygar · 3 Cornamona · 5 Woodford · 6 Carna · 6 New Inn · 2 Kilronan–Aran Islands · 4 Rosmuc · 3 Banagher · 1
Schools
35
of 217 in Galway
Pupils
9,032
31% of Galway's pupils
Since 2015/16
+1.1%
8,937 pupils in 2015/16
Average school size
258.1
Galway: 135.5
Average class size
21.41
Galway: 21.46

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 Galway, schools with no planning area had 4.9% of pupils in 2015/16, 9.0% in 2005/06 and 34.0% in 1975/76. Known data issues

Pupils

9,032

−280 on 2024/25

1975/762025/26

Schools

35

22 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average pupils per school

258.1

238.0 in 1975/76

1975/762025/26

Average class size

21.41

−0.61 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. 965 in 2025/26, −88 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 (8 schools today). 2,467 pupils in 2025/26, 27.3% of the area's pupils, against 28.4% 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

31 schools with figures for both years

Schools still filling their classes in 2015/16, and schools opened since, are listed separately.

15fell by 10% or more
10within 10%
6grew by 10% or more
Down 25% or more · 3Down 10 to 25% · 12Within 10% · 10Up 10 to 25% · 2Up 25% or more · 4

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 Claregalway Educate Together NSClaregalway, Co. Galway 133 → 220 +65.4%
  2. 2 Scoil an Linbh IosaGalway, Co. Galway 180 → 236 +31.1%
  3. 3 Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighGaillimh, Co. Galway 502 → 643 +28.1%
  4. 4 S N na bhForbachaCo.na Gaillimhe, Co. Galway 180 → 229 +27.2%
  5. 5 Scoil Croi IosaGalway, Co. Galway 100 → 122 +22.0%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

  1. 1 S N an Bhain MhoirClaregalway, Co. Galway 167 → 108 −35.3%
  2. 2 SN ColmcilleCastlegar, Co. Galway 106 → 70 −34.0%
  3. 3 Tirellan Heights N SGalway, Co. Galway 450 → 330 −26.7%
  4. 4 S N BrighdeAn Caisleán Gearr, Co. Galway 167 → 130 −22.2%
  5. 5 Scoil Náisiúnta RóisGalway, Co. Galway 377 → 297 −21.2%

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.

Newer schools

4 schools still filling their classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 1,055 pupils between them. They aren’t in the figures above.

Class sizes

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

Average class size
21.41
Mainstream classes
410
Classes of 30 or more
22
Schools with a class of 30+
10

Teachers

Teachers in the 35 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
410
Up 114 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 20%
Teaching posts in 2025/26
about 687
Estimate: 410 class teachers, 32 principals and deputies, 201 special education and 44 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16
545
The Department's last count of every teacher
Since 2024/25
3 / 5
3 schools 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

5 special schools in Galway City, and the special classes in its 35 mainstream schools. Special schools aren't counted in the pupils, class sizes or teachers above.

All special schools
Pupils in special schools
306
In 5 schools, up from 228 in 2015/16
Special classes in 2025/26
44
In 19 of 35 schools. 11 in 2020/21
Allocated for 2026/27
58
In 24 schools: 14 new classes, 5 schools with their first
Autism classes
34
77% of special classes

Special classes since 2020/21

In Galway City's mainstream schools, from the NCSE's yearly lists

  • 2020/21 11
  • 2021/22 30
  • 2022/23 34
  • 2023/24 37
  • 2024/25 42
  • 2025/26 44
  • 2026/27 58

2026/27, dashed: allocated for next year.

Special school Pupils Since 2015/16 Teaching posts SNAs
St Josephs Special SCHNewcastle · Moderate general learning disability 80
+11.1%
14 38
Lakeview SchoolGalway · Mild general learning disability 76
+61.7%
12 21
Rosedale SchoolGalway · Severe or profound general learning disability 75
+10.3%
13 37
Scoil AineGalway 45
+95.7%
– –
Ábalta Special SchoolGalway · Autism 30
+66.7%
5 18

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

Schools

35 schools, largest first.

Change over

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Roll number
Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighGaillimh 19994G 643
+28.1%
27 23.81 31 2
S N IognaidGaillimh 19371Q 480
−17.1%
20 24.00 31 2
Gaelscoil DaraGaillimh 19858V 419
−3.0%
17 24.65 29 0
St. John the Apostle, Knocknacarra NSGalway 20108I 400
−9.9%
16 24.62 28 0
Merlin Woods Primary SchoolGalway 20350P 383
+24.4%
16 23.19 26 0
Galway Educate Together NSGalway 20000L 373
+11.3%
16 22.19 27 0
Bushy Park N SGalway 13856K 366
−8.5%
16 22.88 25 0
SN Caitriona SinsearRenmore 19468I 365
−3.9%
15 23.27 26 0
Radharc na Mara National SchoolMervue 20554I 353 – 21 15.67 22 0
S N Caitriona SoisRenmore 19401W 350
−19.5%
19 17.16 21 0
Tirellan Heights N SGalway 19795A 330
−26.7%
21 15.71 20 0
S N Chlair na GaillimheClaregalway 16804G 311
−9.1%
13 23.92 29 0
Scoil Náisiúnta RóisGalway 19241D 297
−21.2%
13 21.92 28 0
Scoil Bhrige agus Bhreandain NaofaCorrandulla 19997M 281
−1.7%
12 23.42 31 2
Niochlas N SGalway 16943U 262
−18.4%
14 17.00 22 0
Scoil IdeGalway 18634R 244
−16.7%
11 22.18 32 2
Scoil an Linbh IosaGalway 04515G 236
+31.1%
13 17.77 27 0
S N na bhForbachaCo.na Gaillimhe 17668G 229
+27.2%
8 28.62 32 4
Scoil MhuireCastlegar 17845C 223
−6.7%
10 21.10 30 3
S N Seamus NaofaBearna 19803T 221
−21.1%
10 22.10 32 2
Claregalway Educate Together NSClaregalway 20211B 220
+65.4%
9 23.11 28 0
S N FhursaGaillimh 16937C 216
−13.3%
9 24.00 30 2
S N Padraic NaofaGalway 17784I 214
−5.3%
9 22.44 34 1
Knocknacarra Educate Together NSKnocknacarra 20410H 207
+314.0%
8 24.50 28 0
S N Bride NaofaGalway 17782E 187
−18.3%
10 18.00 25 0
Scoil Naomh IosefBearna 13914V 183
−4.7%
8 21.00 28 0
SN Cearn MorÓrán Mór 19828M 174
+4.2%
7 24.86 31 2
S N BrighdeAn Caisleán Gearr 17759J 130
−22.2%
6 19.67 26 0
SN N BreandainCor An Dola 18163E 129
−14.6%
6 21.50 25 0
Scoil Croi IosaGalway 01013N 122
+22.0%
7 17.43 20 0
Scoil Naomh EindeGalway 18929N 119
−15.0%
5 21.40 27 0
Cuan na Gaillimhe Community National SchoolKnocknacarra 20462D 112
+1,020.0%
5 22.40 29 0
S N an Bhain MhoirClaregalway 09069L 108
−35.3%
5 19.20 24 0
Parochial N SGalway 16750J 75
−13.8%
4 18.75 26 0
SN ColmcilleCastlegar 17221K 70
−34.0%
4 16.00 18 0