Religion in Ireland

The place of religion in Irish public life, from open data.

Over 90% of Irish primary schools are run by a religious patron, most of them Catholic, and the State’s auditor has found that 85% of schools are built on land owned by patrons or trustees. At the same time, fewer people say they’re Catholic at every census, and civil ceremonies are now as common as Catholic weddings.

This project tracks the place of religion in Irish public life using open data, mainly from the Central Statistics Office, the Department of Education and the Charities Regulator. The code behind every figure is on GitHub.

Primary School Survey 2026

What parents, school staff and boards of management told the Department of Education about school ethos.

The charities landscape

Every registered charity in Ireland, grouped by purpose, with religion and Catholic-patron schools highlighted.

Schools, census and marriages

School ethos across the country, Catholic affiliation by age from the census, and the rise of civil marriage.

Related: Open Talamh maps the land the Catholic Church and the State own in Ireland.