According to the 2015 Central Applications Office (CAO) statistics, 96% of Ardscoil Rís students continued on to third level education (e.g. college or university) in 2015.

[citation needed] Ardscoil Rís started out in the O'Brien Institute, which functioned as a private school, in 1969.

[1] Ardscoil Ris partly originated with the O'Brien Institute, a charitable residence and school for male orphans, in 1969.

In 1970 and 1971 six prefab classrooms were constructed, and on 21 November 1973 the new school building was officially opened by the Irish president, Éamon de Valera.

In 1979 the school won the Hogan Cup, winning the All-Ireland Colleges football title for the only time.

The school continued to perform well on the sports field, and most students went on to third level education at this point.

In 1998 a modern sports hall was completed and officially opened by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Diarmuid Martin, the Archbishop of Dublin, and in 1999 six new classrooms were built, a new wing for the library was constructed, and some much needed office space has eased the pressure on space in the school.

The title was subsequently stripped from the winners, St. Malachy's, Belfast, for playing illegal players but was not awarded to Ardscoil due to Basketball Ireland regulations.

[15][16] Ris repeated as U/16 hurling champions in 2011[17] and won both the Dublin and Leinster Senior B Football titles in early 2012.

[citation needed] Past pupils of Ardscoil Ris include Dublin GAA senior football players Ciarán Whelan, Tomas Quinn, Cormac Costello and Diarmuid Connolly.

International Airlines Group chief executive Willie Walsh[22] graduated in the late 70's while Labour Party senator Derek McDowell is also a past pupil.

[citation needed] The former Moscow correspondent of the Irish Times Conor Sweeney also attended Ardscoil Ris.

[24] Bassist of popular Dublin band, Dubh, and solo musician "Dialling Codes", Isaac Byrne also attended.