Ireland · Galway
St Joseph’s Patrician College, known as the Bish, is a Catholic all-boys voluntary secondary school on Nun’s Island. Applications for First Year 2027–28 run from 1 to 22 October 2026. The annual notice lists 125 First Year places and no new places in its two autism classes.
St Joseph’s Patrician College, widely known as the Bish, is a Catholic all-boys voluntary secondary school on Nun’s Island. It operates under the Le Chéile Schools Trust and does not offer boarding.
It is not Coláiste Iognáid, the co-educational Jesuit school on Sea Road. The two schools have different admissions criteria as well as different gender policies.
The Bish may suit families seeking a Catholic boys’ day school in Galway. Its policy describes a Patrician and Le Chéile ethos while also stating a commitment to inclusion, equality and openness.
The school can refuse an application from a girl because it is an all-boys school. Families seeking a co-educational setting should compare it with the Jes.
The school offers the Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Leaving Certificate. Its public site also refers to the state Schoolbooks Scheme for junior and senior-cycle pupils.
The Bish operates two special classes for pupils with autism. The policy requires the professional evidence specified in current national guidance and an NCSE letter confirming eligibility and recommendation.
The 2027–28 annual notice lists zero new special-class places. That does not mean the classes have closed. It means the school has not advertised a new intake place for that year.
The annual notice and admissions graphic give the same timetable:
The notice lists 125 First Year places. This is a reduction from the 150 places recorded for the previous intake.
Historical figures show substantial demand. For 2026–27, the school reports 388 applications for 150 places and 58 names on the waiting list as of 17 April 2026.
Those figures do not establish an applicant’s chance of success. The category order and any required lottery determine how places are allocated.
The policy applies the following priorities:
When a category has more applicants than places, the school uses a lottery under Board of Management supervision. Read the full policy because detailed conditions apply to the alumni and feeder-school categories.
There is also a drafting error worth confirming. The selection section is labelled for 2027–28 but says it applies to pupils entering First Year in September 2026. The surrounding annual notice and admissions page consistently refer to entry in 2027.
Ask the school to confirm that the selection criteria are intended for the September 2027 intake. Do not let the apparent typo obscure the correct October application window.
The current admissions graphic says transfer applications for years other than First Year can be requested from office@bish.ie. A transfer remains subject to space in the relevant year and programme.
The admissions policy says the school cannot require fees or contributions as a condition of application, admission or continued enrolment, except as the law allows. The school is not presented as a fee-paying secondary school.
Families should still ask about uniform, optional trips, activities and any programme-specific costs. Confirm which books are supplied under the Schoolbooks Scheme and which materials remain the family’s responsibility.
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.
Coláiste Iognáid is a non-fee-paying, co-educational Jesuit secondary school on Sea Road. Applications for First Year 2027–28 run from 1 to 22 October 2026. The annual notice lists 104 First Year places and one place in the autism class.
DublinAlexandra 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.
Coláiste Iognáid and The Bish offer the Irish secondary curriculum without tuition fees. The main differences are coeducation, school ethos and admissions priorities. For entry in 2027–28, both have an October 2026 application window, but their acceptance deadlines differ.
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.
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.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.