Local authority in Galway

Galway City Council

Schools in County Galway in this local authority.

Other local authorities in Galway Galway County Council · 190

Schools: 27; of 217 in Galway
Pupils: 8,017; 27% of Galway's pupils
Average school size: 296.9; Galway: 135.5
Average class size: 21.32; Galway: 21.46

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

23 schools with figures for both years

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

12fell by 10% or more

7within 10%

4grew by 10% or more

Down 25% or more · 2Down 10 to 25% · 10Within 10% · 7Up 10 to 25% · 2Up 25% or more · 2

Average class size in these schools went from 24.2 in 2015/16 to 21.1 in 2025/26. 5 of the 12 schools that fell by 10% or more kept or added classes. A fall in pupils can mean smaller classes rather than fewer children wanting places. Smaller classes

Grown most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

1 Scoil an Linbh IosaGalway, Co. Galway 180 → 236 +31.1%
2 Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighGaillimh, Co. Galway 502 → 643 +28.1%
3 Scoil Croi IosaGalway, Co. Galway 100 → 122 +22.0%
4 Galway Educate Together NSGalway, Co. Galway 335 → 373 +11.3%

Fallen most

Pupils in 2015/16 and 2025/26

1 SN ColmcilleCastlegar, Co. Galway 106 → 70 −34.0%
2 Tirellan Heights N SGalway, Co. Galway 450 → 330 −26.7%
3 S N BrighdeAn Caisleán Gearr, Co. Galway 167 → 130 −22.2%
4 Scoil Náisiúnta RóisGalway, Co. Galway 377 → 297 −21.2%
5 S N Caitriona SoisRenmore, Co. Galway 435 → 350 −19.5%

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, a new school nearby or smaller classes can also explain a big rise or fall.

Newer schools

4 schools still filling their classes in 2015/16 or opened since, with 1,713 pupils between them. They aren’t in the figures above.

Scoil ÍosaOranmore · figures start 2024/25 770
Merlin Woods Primary SchoolGalway · opened 2010/11 383
Radharc na Mara National SchoolMervue · figures start 2020/21 353
Knocknacarra Educate Together NSKnocknacarra · opened 2014/15 207

Class sizes

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

Average class size: 21.32
Mainstream classes: 364
Classes of 30 or more: 15
Schools with a class of 30+: 7

Teachers

Teachers in the 27 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: 364; Up 126 since 2006/07, while pupils rose 33%
Teaching posts in 2025/26: about 620; Estimate: 364 class teachers, 27 principals and deputies, 184 special education and 45 special class teachers
Teachers in 2015/16: 451; 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

What parents would prefer

2,207 of the 5,748 households with children at the 27 schools here answered the Department of Education and Youth's Primary School Survey, November–December 2025. These are preferences, not applications.

About these figures

The Department's own results: Interactive map Summary report with county figures (PDF)

Prefer a multi-denominational patron: 47%; Parents of children at school · Ireland 44%
Prefer teaching through Irish: 31%; Parents of children at school · Ireland 20%
Prefer single-sex: 4%; Parents of children at school · Ireland 5%

10 schools where half or more of parents would prefer a multi-denominational patron
5 schools where a quarter or more would prefer teaching through Irish
2 of 2 single-sex schools where most parents would prefer co-educational

Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. Figures here add up the parents at each school with its own results.

Schools

27 schools, largest first.

Change over

Select a column heading to sort

	Roll number
Scoil ÍosaOranmore	20584R	770	–	–	29	25.59	31	3
Gaelscoil Mhic AmhlaighGaillimh	19994G	643	+28.1%	+96.6%	27	23.81	31	2
S N IognaidGaillimh	19371Q	480	−17.1%	−5.9%	20	24.00	31	2
Gaelscoil DaraGaillimh	19858V	419	−3.0%	+52.9%	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	–	–	16	23.19	26	0
Galway Educate Together NSGalway	20000L	373	+11.3%	+58.1%	16	22.19	27	0
Bushy Park N SGalway	13856K	366	−8.5%	+3.4%	16	22.88	25	0
SN Caitriona SinsearRenmore	19468I	365	−3.9%	+8.3%	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%	−9.1%	19	17.16	21	0
Tirellan Heights N SGalway	19795A	330	−26.7%	−22.2%	21	15.71	20	0
Scoil Náisiúnta RóisGalway	19241D	297	−21.2%	−44.4%	13	21.92	28	0
Niochlas N SGalway	16943U	262	−18.4%	+37.9%	14	17.00	22	0
Scoil IdeGalway	18634R	244	−16.7%	−18.7%	11	22.18	32	2
Scoil an Linbh IosaGalway	04515G	236	+31.1%	+76.1%	13	17.77	27	0
Scoil MhuireCastlegar	17845C	223	−6.7%	+0.9%	10	21.10	30	3
S N FhursaGaillimh	16937C	216	−13.3%	−21.2%	9	24.00	30	2
S N Padraic NaofaGalway	17784I	214	−5.3%	−28.4%	9	22.44	34	1
Knocknacarra Educate Together NSKnocknacarra	20410H	207	–	–	8	24.50	28	0
S N Bride NaofaGalway	17782E	187	−18.3%	−49.0%	10	18.00	25	0
Scoil Naomh IosefBearna	13914V	183	−4.7%	+63.4%	8	21.00	28	0
S N BrighdeAn Caisleán Gearr	17759J	130	−22.2%	+14.0%	6	19.67	26	0
Scoil Croi IosaGalway	01013N	122	+22.0%	−22.8%	7	17.43	20	0
Scoil Naomh EindeGalway	18929N	119	−15.0%	+72.5%	5	21.40	27	0
Parochial N SGalway	16750J	75	−13.8%	−28.6%	4	18.75	26	0
SN ColmcilleCastlegar	17221K	70	−34.0%	+7.7%	4	16.00	18	0