St. Ultan’s is located at the heart of Cherry Orchard plays a central role in community, acting not just as a place of education but as a hub for many community activities. Through our integrated approach we work to break the history of poor educational experiences and outcomes for children in disadvantaged communities such as Cherry Orchard.

Cherry Orchard which is located adjacent to Ballyfermot had a population of just under 8,000 in 2016 (projected to increase significantly, with current housing developments planned). Over a third of families in Cherry Orchard have pre-adolescents or adolescents which is higher than the average of 20% for Dublin City as a whole.

The lone parent ratio for Cherry Orchard is over 45%, nearly double that for Dublin City. In 2016, over a third of households in Cherry Orchard were living in Local Authority rented accommodation, compared with 12% for Dublin City.

Cherry Orchard suffers from poor educational attainment. Just under a quarter of those living in the area had primary education only (compared with 11% for Dublin City). The proportion of people in Dublin City with third level education was 45%, but in Cherry Orchard, the equivalent figure was just 19%.

A closer examination of the data reveals an even starker picture: 74% of the population of Cherry Orchard experience even more significant disadvantage, with over 50% living in Local Authority housing, 30% having attained only primary education and less than 9% having attended third level education.

Cherry Orchard is one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in Ireland. It has an unemployment rate which significantly exceeds the average for Dublin City. One in four of the population of Cherry Orchard aged over 15 years was unemployed in 2016, compared to just over one in ten in Dublin City. In some areas within Cherry Orchard, the male unemployment rate hits almost 30%.

The high level of unemployment in Cherry Orchard is an ongoing problem. Persistent and inter-generational long-term unemployment is a significant issue, and there is a trend for young people to move from education to unemployment without ever experiencing working and earning or participating in training or completing further education.