School ethos and patronage explained
Catholic, Church of Ireland, Educate Together, Community National Schools: what a school's patron means, and your right to opt out of religious instruction.
Updated 5 October 2026
Every primary school has a patron. The patron sets the school's ethos and appoints its board of management. Most patrons are churches, but a growing number of schools are multi-denominational.
Who runs Ireland's primary schools
- Catholic: close to nine in ten primary schools.
- Other religious patrons: about 6%, mostly Church of Ireland, with a small number of Jewish and Muslim schools.
- Multi-denominational: about 5.5%. These include Educate Together schools, Community National Schools run by Education and Training Boards, and some Irish-medium schools under An Foras Pátrúnachta.
Does ethos affect who gets a place?
Since 2018, Catholic and other majority-faith primary schools can't use religion to decide who gets a place. Minority-faith schools can still prioritise children of their own faith. See how admissions work.
Opting out of religious instruction
The Constitution guarantees every child the right to attend a publicly funded school without attending religious instruction. Talk to the principal about how the school arranges this. Bear in mind that ethos can shape wider school life, such as preparation for sacraments in certain classes.
Schools changing patron
Under the Department's reconfiguration process, parents in an area are surveyed. If most want a multi-denominational option, an existing school can move to a new patron. Around 20 schools have changed so far, most of them becoming Community National Schools.
Every school page shows its ethos. Compare schools in your area.
Sources
- Citizens Information: Choosing a primary school
- Citizens Information: The Constitution and education
- gov.ie: Schools reconfiguration for diversity
- Educate Together: About
Rules and rates change. Check the official source before you rely on a detail, and tell us at [email protected] if something's out of date.