Religion and school patronage in Irish primary schools

Parents moving to Ireland commonly notice how many schools have a religious ethos:

• Most primary schools are Catholic. In 2025, more than 88% of primary schools had a Catholic patronage and ethos, and about 6% had another religious patron, such as the Church of Ireland, a Jewish or an Islamic patron.
• Sacraments in school. In denominational schools, children are taught prayers and prepared for sacraments such as First Holy Communion as part of the school day.
• Few multi-denominational schools. Only about 5.5% of primary schools have a non-religious patron, such as Educate Together and Community National Schools.
• Uniforms. Most schoolchildren wear a uniform, although some schools, such as Educate Together schools, do not have one.

State-funded primary schools all teach the same national curriculum, but each has a patron who decides its ethos. A patron can be a bishop (for Catholic schools), a company such as Educate Together, an Education and Training Board (for Community National Schools), or An Foras Pátrúnachta (for some Irish-medium schools). It is possible for a school with a religious patron to change to a non-religious patron.

Schools cannot refuse a child a place because of their religion, with a narrow exception: a school with the ethos of a minority religion can prioritise children of that religion if it is oversubscribed.

The mix of schools differs by area, so the choice near your home may be limited. Multi-denominational schools teach about many faiths and belief systems and celebrate a range of religious and non-religious events, but do not provide faith formation during the school day.