Ireland · Clane
Clongowes is a Catholic Jesuit school for boys aged 12–18 where every pupil boards full time. The 2027 First Year notice offered 75 residential places, including eight bursary and two scholarship places. Its main application window closed in April 2026, but completed later applications can still be considered for unfilled places.
Clongowes Wood College is a Catholic Jesuit school for boys near Clane in County Kildare. It follows the Irish Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Leaving Certificate. Every pupil boards full time; there are no day places.
That seven-day model is the starting point for any comparison. St Columba’s College has day and boarding places and is co-educational. Kilkenny College offers a different weekly boarding pattern. Choose between them on family life, ethos and curriculum, not the word “boarding” alone.
Clongowes states that all boys live on campus seven days a week. Wednesday and Saturday are half-days, often used for matches. Families may attend Sunday Mass, after which boys can leave with parents until 20:30.
The school also schedules long weekends and optional Saturday leave. It closes for Christmas, Easter, mid-term and summer holidays; its overview describes about 16 weeks away from school. Ask for the current calendar and permission arrangements, particularly if parents live abroad.
During the school day, pupils do not use mobile phones. The school says boys receive access for 90 minutes in the evening. For an internationally mobile child, ask how routine family contact, travel weekends and guardianship work in practice.
Year groups retain traditional Jesuit names: Elements is First Year, followed by Rudiments, Grammar, Syntax, Poetry and Rhetoric. The academic route is still the Irish Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate. Transition Year is included between them.
The annual notice lists:
| Item | 2027–28 position |
|---|---|
| First Year places | 75 |
| Residential places | 75 |
| Non-residential places | 0 |
| Bursary places | 8 |
| Scholarship places | 2 |
The main application period ran from 16 March to 17 April 2026. Decisions were due by 1 May. Applicants had 14 days from the offer letter to accept; missing that deadline could cause the offer to be withdrawn.
That main window has closed. However, the notice says unfilled places after 1 May can be allocated as completed applications arrive. This is a vacancy route, not a renewed guaranteed window. Ask admissions whether a place remains and what evidence is needed.
The application guidance makes a separate planning distinction. For an intended start within 18 months, submit an application and €50 registration fee. For a start two or more years away, submit an expression of interest.
The process can include open mornings, a family visit and, in some cases, an interview. Sixth-class boys can attend a 24-hour overnight experience with a First Year buddy. This is particularly useful for testing the residential fit before making a six-year commitment.
The 2026–27 fees page states an annual fee of €26,550, effective 1 July 2026.
Two separate 15% premiums are listed:
Each premium would be €3,982.50 when calculated from the published annual fee. The public page does not state whether both are charged cumulatively when both conditions apply. Ask for that calculation in writing. The fee policy also mentions a premium for short-stay pupils without publishing its rate.
Sibling discounts apply only while the relevant boys attend together. A second of two brothers receives 7.5%. With three or more, the second receives 10% and the third and later boys 20%. A 5% alumni discount applies if a brother completed six years at Clongowes. Confirm which discount applies if more than one description fits.
Books, sports equipment, trips, art supplies, medical costs, uniform, laundry and music tuition are extra. Transition Year has further charges in the parent booklet. Obtain the current booklet before budgeting that year.
The application fee is €50. A €3,000 deposit is due on acceptance and is non-refundable if the pupil never starts or is later withdrawn.
The deposit is split:
The second half is therefore not an early tuition credit. It is money tied up for the full school career. If the pupil leaves early, the school says the deposit is not refundable.
A full term’s written notice is required before withdrawal. Otherwise a term’s fee is payable instead. Cancelling an accepted place before entry calls for three months’ written notice, and the deposit remains non-refundable. These obligations matter for families on uncertain postings.
The Alberto Hurtado Programme is means-tested. The school says selection considers financial eligibility, suitability for boarding, family ambition and the child’s potential to thrive; it is not an academic, sporting or musical scholarship.
The 2027 notice counts eight bursary places separately from two scholarship places. Ask what the bursary covers, what the family must contribute and whether extras are supported. Apply through the specific programme rather than assuming a general fee reduction.
Clongowes is a coherent choice for a boy who genuinely wants an immersive Catholic Jesuit boarding life and whose family can manage the weekend pattern. It is a weak fit if parents expect weekly Friday collection or need a day-school alternative.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
Alexandra College is a fee-paying girls' day and boarding school in Milltown, Dublin. Day places run from Preschool to Sixth Year; five-day and seven-day boarding begins in J5. The Senior School follows Junior Cycle, compulsory Transition Year and the Leaving Certificate.
DublinBelvedere College SJ is a Catholic Jesuit day school for boys in central Dublin. It follows Ireland's Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate route, with a compulsory Transition Year. For 2027 entry, it has published 168 First Year places and a defined October application window.
DublinBlackrock College is a fee-paying Catholic Spiritan school for boys in Dublin. First Year is at Willow Park Senior School; Blackrock College teaches Second to Sixth Year and offers day and boarding places.
CorkChristian Brothers College is a fee-paying Catholic boys’ secondary school at Sidney Hill in Cork. It follows Junior Cycle, compulsory Transition Year and the Leaving Certificate.
Clane is a north Kildare town within commuting range of Dublin, with Sallins station nearby and buses into the city. Most families here choose between local co-educational schools and Dublin day schools; Clongowes Wood answers a narrower question about full boarding for boys.
5 minStart with your child’s needs and the schools you can realistically access. A boys’, girls’, or co-educational label does not tell you enough about teaching, friendships, support, or daily life.
8 minStart with the child and a realistic weekly timetable. Then confirm who provides care, which nights are covered, and what happens when plans change.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.