Virtual School in Ireland: The West, the Shannon Region and the Senior Cycle Decision

By Brendaliz Chelangat, Head of Academics · October 2026 · 9 min read

Ireland’s international schooling sits almost entirely in south Dublin. Its international employers do not. The medical technology plants of Galway, the aviation and manufacturing businesses around Shannon and Limerick, the pharmaceutical sites of Cork Harbour and the technology firms spread across the regions all recruit from abroad, and their families find the nearest international school is two or three hours away by road. This guide is about those families, and about the decision every family in Ireland faces at the end of the Junior Cycle, at around fifteen: whether the next two or three years lead to the Leaving Certificate, to A Levels, or to both.

Ireland outside Dublin

Galway is the centre of Ireland’s medical technology industry, with Medtronic and Boston Scientific among its largest employers, and the University of Galway alongside. Limerick has Analog Devices, Dell and the University of Limerick, and the Shannon area, with its free zone, has a long history in aircraft leasing and aviation services. Cork has Apple at Hollyhill and a cluster of pharmaceutical plants around Ringaskiddy. Waterford has Bausch + Lomb and South East Technological University. In each of these places the local secondary schools are good and free, and international options range from limited to none. Families here are not choosing between international schools. They are deciding whether the local school alone covers what their child will need next.

The Senior Cycle decision, set out

After the Junior Cycle, a student can take an optional Transition Year and then the two-year Leaving Certificate, which leads to CAO points and Irish university entry. That route serves a student who will stay in Ireland very well. Cambridge A Levels serve a student whose future is less certain: UK universities read them natively, Irish universities accept them through the CAO, and they are recognised internationally. There are three sensible configurations. The Leaving Certificate in the local school, on its own. The Leaving Certificate with one or two A Levels taken live after school, for a student who wants a second record or a subject the school cannot offer. Or A Levels as the main route, for a family that has registered with Tusla to educate at home.

What a mixed record does and does not do

Families should be clear about one point before choosing the middle option. An A Level taken alongside the Leaving Certificate is a separate qualification. It strengthens a UK or international application and gives a student a subject the school does not timetable, but how Irish universities count a mix of Leaving Certificate and A Level results depends on their own rules, so ask each admissions office early. Families choosing home education should also know that registration with Tusla under section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 applies while a child is of compulsory school age, and an educational welfare officer may assess the education. Confirm with Tusla how the rules apply to your child’s age and situation before you withdraw from a school.

Examinations from the west

Cambridge examinations are sat at authorised exam centres, which families book and which we confirm per family, per session. In Ireland the choice of venues is limited, and some Dublin international schools accept external candidates only when they have space, so families in Galway, Limerick or Cork should plan their sittings months ahead. A short flight from Shannon, Cork or Dublin to a UK centre is often the practical alternative. Pearson Edexcel International A Levels offer more than one examination series a year, which gives families flexibility if a sitting has to move. For students taking A Levels alongside the Leaving Certificate, the timetables of the two systems need to be checked against each other early, since both run their main written examinations in early summer.

Class times, university routes and the local school

Ireland is three hours behind our Nairobi teaching base in winter and two in summer, so full-time students learn in the Irish morning and students at a local school join an afternoon slot after it ends. Every lesson is recorded. The university routes are wide: Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University College Cork, the University of Galway and the University of Limerick through the CAO, UK universities through UCAS, and North American universities through their own applications. The local school remains the right answer for most families in the west. It gives a child their friends, their county and their sport. Our role is to add the subjects and the record it cannot provide, and to carry a full A Level programme where a family has chosen one.

Ireland’s international employers are spread across the country, and its international schools are not. For families in Galway, Limerick, Shannon and Cork, the question at fifteen is not which school but which record: the Leaving Certificate, A Levels, or both. Each can be planned well if the decision is made early. Book an assessment and we will map the route that fits your child’s plans.

Frequently asked questions

What time are classes for students in the west of Ireland?

Ireland is three hours behind Nairobi in winter and two in summer. Full-time students learn in the morning, and students at a local school join an afternoon slot. Every lesson is recorded.

Can my child take A Levels while doing the Leaving Certificate?

Yes. One or two A Levels can run live after school. Ask each Irish university how it treats a mix of Leaving Certificate and A Level results.

Do Irish universities accept A Levels on their own?

Yes. Irish universities accept A Levels through the CAO, with requirements set per course, and UK universities read them natively through UCAS.

Where would a student in Galway or Limerick sit Cambridge examinations?

At an authorised venue in Ireland or a UK centre a short flight away. Families book, and we confirm the centre per family, per session.

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