Ireland · Limerick
Villiers is a coeducational Protestant day and boarding school in Limerick, offering the Leaving Certificate and IB Diploma. First-year day applicants use Limerick’s shared application system; boarding applicants apply directly. Fees differ by programme, residence category and boarding arrangement.
Villiers School is a coeducational, fee-paying day and boarding secondary school on North Circular Road, Limerick, V94 F983. Contact the school on +353 61 451 447, at info@villiers-school.com, or through its official website. Admissions enquiries go to admissions@villiers-school.com.
The school has a Protestant ethos. Founded under Hannah Villiers’ will in 1821, it has occupied its Tivoli campus since 1953. Its registered charity number is 20011277.
Villiers is most relevant when Limerick is the right location and you want a choice between Irish and IB upper-secondary qualifications. The boarding arrangement and application route are separate decisions.
First-year day applicants use the Common Application System, while boarding applicants apply directly. The school says Department support for teacher salaries applies to its Leaving Certificate provision, but not to the fully private IB Diploma. This helps explain the different fees; choose the qualification on educational fit as well as cost.
Consider Villiers if its Protestant ethos and fee-paying day or boarding provision fit your family. Both the Irish Leaving Certificate and the IB Diploma are available in senior cycle.
The about page describes roughly a quarter of pupils as boarders and three quarters as local day pupils. The boarding page gives 165 boarders aged 12–18, in four houses: Glendower, Riverview, Lansdowne and Barrington. These are typically organised as two junior and two senior houses. The school says the Head of School’s family lives on campus.
Boarding options are five-day, fortnightly and seven-day. Ask how the fortnightly arrangement works across weekends and holidays. Day pupils can also pay for meals, supervised study and activities with boarders through the day-boarding provision.
Using Limerick’s shared application system does not make Villiers tuition-free. Compare local non-fee-paying schools if that is essential to the family budget.
Compare Kilkenny College for a Church of Ireland boarding option in Kilkenny, or St Columba’s for boarding near Dublin. St Andrew’s is relevant if you want Leaving Certificate and IB options at a Dublin day school. Check the actual boarding provision and journey for each alternative.
Villiers reports IB Diploma authorisation since March 2017. Its 2026 FAQ says about 20% of senior-cycle pupils take the IB, in cohorts of around 24. It also describes itself as one of four authorised IB schools in Ireland and the only Irish boarding school offering a choice of Leaving Certificate or IB. These are the school’s claims, not an independent ranking.
The IB Diploma is fully private. Teacher salaries for Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Leaving Certificate provision receive Department support. The programme-specific fees below reflect that distinction.
Form I is the first secondary year. Day applications use the Limerick Area Post-Primary Schools Common Application System (CAS), covering seventeen schools. The Form I page says applications for 2027/28 are expected to open in October 2026.
Boarding applicants apply directly. The same page is considering 2027/28 and 2028/29 entry, for pupils in fifth and sixth primary class at the time described. Ask admissions separately about any late 2026/27 application; these later intake notices do not establish current availability.
Open Day on the homepage: Saturday 26 September 2026, 11:00–13:30.
Secondary Education Committee grants may help Protestant families. Confirm eligibility and any award with the committee before deducting support from the budget.
The FAQ requires international senior-cycle IB applicants to have at least B2 English, an upper-intermediate level on the Common European Framework of Reference. Ask how the school assesses this and which evidence it accepts.
The fees page titles 2026–2027 summaries for Ireland, EU/EEA/UK, and non-EU. We opened the school’s own PDFs. The IRL summary prints four columns — day, 5-day, fortnightly, 7-day boarding:
| Programme | Day | 5-day | Fortnightly | 7-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Cycle & Leaving Cert | €5,120 | €11,950 | €16,700 | €20,700 |
| Transition Year* | €5,820 | €12,650 | €17,400 | €21,400 |
| IB Diploma | €9,970 | €16,800 | €21,550 | €25,550 |
*TY figures include the €700 TY additional fee, outdoor-pursuits trip included — the PDF’s own footnote.
The EU/EEA/UK and non-EU summaries give day and seven-day boarding rates:
| Programme | EU/EEA/UK day | EU/EEA/UK seven-day | Non-EU day | Non-EU seven-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate | Confirm with school | €22,600 | €9,400 | €27,800 |
| Transition Year | €8,400 | €23,300 | €10,100 | €28,500 |
| IB Diploma | €12,600 | €27,500 | €14,400 | €32,800 |
The existing source notes do not establish the EU/EEA/UK Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate day amount reliably, so it is not quoted here. These summaries do not give five-day or fortnightly rates. Ask the bursar which residence category and boarding arrangement apply to your family; do not infer the category from a passport alone.
The fees page also lists these 2026/27 charges and inclusions:
Ask bursar@villiers-school.com for the fee summary that applies to your family. The page states that non-EU fees must be paid in full before tuition starts.
Choose Villiers when Limerick, its Protestant ethos and the available day or boarding arrangements suit your family. Compare the Leaving Certificate and IB by subjects, learning style and university plans, then budget for the relevant programme. The IB route has higher tuition because it is fully private.
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.
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Limerick’s secondary-school choice is not simply fee-paying versus free. Teaching language, single-sex or co-educational provision, and the need for boarding produce different shortlists. First Year day applications share a local system; boarding and transfers need separate enquiries.
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.
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.