St Mary's Macroom is West Cork's top university feeder school

ST MARY’S secondary school in Macroom has been ranked 10th in a survey of Cork’s top 20 university feeder schools. 

And out of the country’s top 400 schools, they have been placed in 74th spot.

The other West Cork schools to make Cork’s top 20 were: Sacred Heart Secondary Clonakilty, 11th;  Colaiste Choilm Ballincollig, 14th; Colaiste na Toirbhirte Bandon, 16th; Hamilton High School  Bandon, 17th and Scoil Mhuire Ballingeary, 20th. 

The number one spot in Cork went to the city’s fee-paying Scoil Mhuire. 

The schools were ranked by the percentage of pupils going to university.

Behind St Mary’s in Macroom on the national list of 400 and representing West Cork was Sacred Heart Clonakilty at number 82; Colaiste Choilm Ballincollig, 92; Colaiste na Toirbhirte Bandon, 100 and Hamilton High School in Bandon, 105. 

Scoil Mhuire Ballingeary came in at 121, while fee-paying Bandon Grammar was ranked at 144. 

Rosscarbery’s Mount St Michael was in 156th position, followed by Colaiste Mhuire in Crosshaven at 166 and De La Salle College, Macroom at 170. 

Ballincollig Community School was placed in the 177th position. At 204 was Clonakilty’s Community College and Beara Community College at 278.

Kinsale Community College took the 307th spot; Schull Community College was at 322. 

Expert analysts noted that the list, published by The Sunday Times, showed a strong universtiy entry from both girls and Irish speaking schools, noting that girls tend to outperform boys in exams and that extra grades are awarded to students who study through Irish. 

The country’s top three overall schools were: Laurel Hill in Limerick; Scoil Mhuire, Cork city and Colaiste Iosagain, Dublin.