# Driving lessons



## foxylady (1 Sep 2005)

Can anyone recommend a good place on the northside for driving lessons for a complete beginner who is a bag of nerves.


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## happygoose (1 Sep 2005)

I was you 6 months ago. Arrow school of motoring, female instructor, 28ish, shes briliiant.


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## Ciaran (1 Sep 2005)

foxylady said:
			
		

> Can anyone recommend a good place on the northside for driving lessons for a complete beginner who is a bag of nerves.


 
Colliers Driving School in Finglas - ask for Damien. Passed my test after lessons from him. I was a complete beginner when I went out with him and he's very nice. George is also a good option. I've no affiliation with the school other than being a satisfied former customer.


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## foxylady (3 Oct 2006)

Ciaran said:


> Colliers Driving School in Finglas - ask for Damien. Passed my test after lessons from him. I was a complete beginner when I went out with him and he's very nice. George is also a good option. I've no affiliation with the school other than being a satisfied former customer.


 

Can I ask how many lessons it took you as I have taken 7 so far and am losing heart rapidly


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## Ciaran (3 Oct 2006)

20 before I could even attempt to drive on my own - about 6 months of solo driving and then another 8 lessons before the test. Was a pain in the neck (and pocket) at the time but well worth it in retrospect! Don't give up - everyone finds it frustrating.


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## foxylady (4 Oct 2006)

Ciaran said:


> 20 before I could even attempt to drive on my own - about 6 months of solo driving and then another 8 lessons before the test. Was a pain in the neck (and pocket) at the time but well worth it in retrospect! Don't give up - everyone finds it frustrating.


 
God am so glad to hear that as I have had 8 so far and am nowhere near confident enough to go out on my own. Its a refreshing change from listening to peoplesay they only needed 5 and that driving schools are only a racket etc etc. It is also good to hear that coming from a bloke, as i always imagined men to be far more confident when it came to driving.


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## Lauren (4 Oct 2006)

Agree with what was said above. I'd say I had about 25 lessons in total and some of my own practice before I felt confident. Failed the test first time and then passed the second..You are well on your way!!


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## michaelm (4 Oct 2006)

foxylady said:


> Can I ask how many lessons it took you as I have taken 7 so far and am losing heart rapidly


Learner drivers should be looking at 20 - 25 lessons to be competent on the road and thus pass the test.  Lessons with friends/relatives should be avoided.


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## Squonk (4 Oct 2006)

My wife bought an automatic and was driving from scratch very quickly. She took no lessons. She passed her test first timne recently. With an automatic you get to learn the important stuff (like keeping your eye on the road and not crashing into parked cars!) rather than worrying about the gears and the clutch initially.


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## michaelm (4 Oct 2006)

AFAIK if you do a test in an Automatic your licence only covers you to drive Automatics.  The notion of driving on the roads unsupervised by a qualified instructor in a suitably equipped car (instructor pedals) before having obtained a full licence, is a pretty much a uniquely Irish concept.  There should be a mandatory minimum number of lessons with a qualified instructor and a set number of hours attending driving school before one should be entitled to sit the driving test.


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## Nell (6 Oct 2006)

If you are looking for a good driving school and instructer, paul at the independent driving school, finglas is great. Plus its based in the same place as the finglas test centre so you'll get to know the route really well.
I failed the test 3 times - my own fault!


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## gianni (6 Oct 2006)

Sorry to hi-jack this thread a bit... but since you guys have used these schools recently can you advise me what the approx going rate for lessons is ? I'm presuming most schools do a package of x number lessons for €x ?

I intend ringing around a few places but would like some ball park figures before doing so...

Thanks


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## Ron Burgundy (6 Oct 2006)

michaelm said:


> AFAIK if you do a test in an Automatic your licence only covers you to drive Automatics. The notion of driving on the roads unsupervised by a qualified instructor in a suitably equipped car (instructor pedals) before having obtained a full licence, is a pretty much a uniquely Irish concept. There should be a mandatory minimum number of lessons with a qualified instructor and a set number of hours attending driving school before one should be entitled to sit the driving test.


 
thats on the way from Dept of Transport, along with the new rules of the road, but don't hold your breath.

The insturctors working at the mo want a proper test and register but you might as well ask an oak tree and the government


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## Megan (6 Oct 2006)

I know of 4 students that have just gone to the USA to take up jobs in Palm Beech. They all needed cars over there to get to work.
2 of them have Full Driving licences here and the other 2 have Prov. Licences (1 of them for 1 year & the other 6 months). 
They all applied for their driving tests in Palm Beech and all got the same date. The one with the Prov Licence for 6 months passed first time. Second time round 1 Full Licence + 1 with Prov passed. Third time round the other with full licence passed. All of this happened within 1 week. That is some of them done the driving test three times in the one week. I should have said all are driving Automatic cars but were driving manual cars here in Ireland.
We have alot of catching up to do regarding the driving test here.


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## Nell (6 Oct 2006)

thats what happens when you have civil servants telling the govt if they can or cant employ more testers, apparently theres a quota of driving testers, so they can get a nice bit of overtime, in the meantime everyone else has to wait 18 months to resit the test.


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## Ron Burgundy (6 Oct 2006)

Megan said:


> We have alot of catching up to do regarding the driving test here.


 
indeed we do and we are looking at a model used is New Zeland where you have to have x lessons before you apply for your text and x to sit it. all must be signed off by a qualified & registered instructor.

the problem in Ireland is that people only want to learn for the test and not to drive for life

Example :

out with a student and i say we are going to do parking Parallel parking, they ask why and i say its an important part of driving. You must be able to park a car in order to master driving.

The response i got was, listen its not on the test i'm so i'm not interested. I'm pay you to get me to pass my test not teach me to drive.

the look on my face was , needless to say it was the last lesson i gave her.


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## ontour (6 Oct 2006)

As an aside, are there any driving schools that teach you to drive in a safe place away from other motorists.

It does my head in that I would learn to drive on the road.. as I would consider myself a significant danger to the other motorists !


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## Megan (6 Oct 2006)

indeed we do and we are looking at a model used is New Zeland where you have to have x lessons before you apply for your text and x to sit it. all must be signed off by a qualified & registered instructor.

Where would you get a qualified & registered driving instructor in Ireland. I know there some who are self regalated but no Government Department are responisble for driving instructors. 
It a sorry mess the whole driving test.


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## Ron Burgundy (6 Oct 2006)

Megan said:


> Where would you get a qualified & registered driving instructor in Ireland. I know there some who are self regalated but no Government Department are responisble for driving instructors.
> It a sorry mess the whole driving test.


 
thats part of the problem Megan, i did a course with the Irish School of Motoring and there is also a register you can join but not offical.

I would gladly sit any exam or test to have a government backed scheme as would any instructor serious about their business. The Government have been lobbied but as usual its running at a snails pace.

The register of instrcutors would come in with the overall of the test and the whole system of gaining a full licence. The sooner the better.


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## bankrupt (9 Oct 2006)

Ron Burgundy said:


> Example :
> 
> out with a student and i say we are going to do parking Parallel parking, they ask why and i say its an important part of driving. You must be able to park a car in order to master driving.
> 
> The response i got was, listen its not on the test i'm so i'm not interested. I'm pay you to get me to pass my test not teach me to drive.


 
When I was learning I wanted to practice parallel parking, only to be told that it wasn't part of the test so there was no point!  I also asked to go driving at more than 50km/h on main roads etc.  with similar response.  I came across several instructors who seemed to have the same attitude to teaching that your pupil had to learning.


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## Ron Burgundy (10 Oct 2006)

bankrupt said:


> When I was learning I wanted to practice parallel parking, only to be told that it wasn't part of the test so there was no point! I also asked to go driving at more than 50km/h on main roads etc. with similar response. I came across several instructors who seemed to have the same attitude to teaching that your pupil had to learning.


 
well thats an attitude within the industry that has to change and i agree with all you have said. If i was allowed by law i'd have lessons on motorway driving.

I think its attitude like teaching outside the typical box that can give me an edge over other insturctors, plus i believe in it.


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## hawkeye10 (11 Oct 2006)

does anyone know anything about the courses you do when you have your full licence, how long do they last and how much do htye cost


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## mauddib (11 Oct 2006)

Could be a lot of answers to that. Hibernian insurance for one, and a couple of other insurance companies, do a one day course which they then knock your insurance down for doing.

But theres also advanced driving courses you can do with schools etc which have different levels of awards.

So basically your answer is a question. How long do you WANT to spend on them  And im sure there is a course that lenght. 

Try asking on the forum at the address below as the moderator of that forum has several such qualifications....

http://www.drivingschoolireland.com/phpbb/index.php?c=1


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## elefantfresh (11 Oct 2006)

Ron, i understand what you're saying about driving for life BUT the people who are paying you to teach them are only doing so in order to pass the test. Its almost like teaching you extra maths for an exam thats just not necessary in order to "pass". And don't forget, the longer they are paying you, the more money comes out of their pocket and people are getting tighter and tighter by the day what with all the increases in living expenses. I wouldn't take it personally if i were an instructor and was told to "just do the curriculum". Its a very valid point you make but time is money blah blah blah. I wish when i learned to drive i had someone like that who gave the "bigger picture".


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## Ron Burgundy (11 Oct 2006)

elefantfresh said:


> Ron, i understand what you're saying about driving for life BUT the people who are paying you to teach them are only doing so in order to pass the test. Its almost like teaching you extra maths for an exam thats just not necessary in order to "pass". And don't forget, the longer they are paying you, the more money comes out of their pocket and people are getting tighter and tighter by the day what with all the increases in living expenses. I wouldn't take it personally if i were an instructor and was told to "just do the curriculum". Its a very valid point you make but time is money blah blah blah. I wish when i learned to drive i had someone like that who gave the "bigger picture".


 
i see that, but thats the attitude that has to change in society, i'd gladly spend 15 mins extra doing the parking. Its a basic and must needed skill of driving.

I was the same while learning myself ( only want i need to know ) but as you get older and see more you realise the importance of these basic skills and that  is why certain motoring lobby groups are pushing for this in the new test when it comes.

Also with students having X lessons and the idea of driving out of the test centre after you fail is the best i've ever heard. as the saying goes......only in Ireland.


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## ragazza (31 Oct 2006)

Dont feel bad if you have only done 7 lessons  - 7 hours in a car is very little really.
I did about 50 lessons - I wanted to learn the correct way to do everything and didnt want to pick up the bad habits that people seem to get when they practise driving on their own - so I only did lessons with an instructor.
It was a very relaxed way to do it - we spent entire lessons on parallel parking, reversing around corners etc, and now I see I'm more more proficient in these things than my friends, and also never do their bad habits of coasting down through gears with the clutch in, crossing hands on the steering wheel etc.


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## mell61 (31 Oct 2006)

The craziest thing is that the driving test seem to be the pinnacle of motor handling in Ireland, and its all downhill from there...  
Crazier when you consider that at that high level of 'competence' we still have phenomenal failure rates!


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## Marie (31 Oct 2006)

ontour said:


> As an aside, are there any driving schools that teach you to drive in a safe place away from other motorists.
> 
> It does my head in that I would learn to drive on the road.. as I would consider myself a significant danger to the other motorists !


 
Ontour, the whole objective of driving instruction is to _prepare you for real road conditions_.  Real road conditions in the RoI include the 418 arrested for drunken driving over the bank holiday weekend, includes those who killed the 5 people on the roads this weekend (a few months ago there were 6 fatalities on Irish roads in one weekend).  Real road conditions include the statistic that Irish roads are the most hazardous in the entire EU.  Real road conditions include those drivers referred to above, who care nothing about the safety of others or about the law but "just want to pass the test".  Hazardous driving-conditions come from ignorance.  Ensure your own safety and that of others by getting the best and longest instruction you can manage; expense doesn't come into it!  As a guide you need one lesson for every year of your life + six additional for proficiency (so if you're 22, that's a total of 28 lessons; if you're 30 that's 36 lessons).  No - driving schools are _not_ "money-making rackets"; they teach people driving skills which include rules of the road and exercise of judgement.  I have no vested interest in driving instruction establishments, just feel strongly as a road user whose life and limb can be jeopardised or lost by irresponsible or dangerous drivers.


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## laura.flynn (1 Nov 2006)

HI 
Im planning on doing some pretests at the minute for finglas ,, does anyone know the route.?


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## Ron Burgundy (1 Nov 2006)

[broken link removed]  you can purchase the routes.


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## RAD123 (11 Aug 2008)

i got a lad to do my lessons with and i passed my 1st go in fronthill i can send you on his number  if you would like


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## Easyguy (21 Jan 2010)

*Re: Driving lessons Finglas*

I used ISM for driving lessons in Finglas.  They are at the test centre in Jameston Business Park. Passed first go


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