Most people in Kilkenny think the test is luck on the day. It is the two roundabouts on Hebron Road.
Two test centres in Kilkenny, both on Hebron Road, and we know the routes out of each. Local roads, local instructor, the same one every lesson. Book the first one and see how you get on.
Two test centres in Kilkenny, both on Hebron Road. We know the routes out of each.
Most learners think the test is luck on the day. Actually, it is the route, and in Kilkenny both centres sit on Hebron Road on the south-east side of the ring road. O'Loughlin Gaels passed 54.9% of car tests in 2023, the Government Buildings centre 50.7% (RSA figures, against a 52.3% national average that year). Wherever your test is booked, we put you on those roundabouts and estates first.
Kilkenny (O'Loughlin Gaels)
Kilkenny (Government Buildings)
Lessons in your town, not a long drive into the city.
From the city out to Callan, Thomastown, Castlecomer and the river villages. Pick your area to meet your local instructor.
Kilkenny roads, taught by local instructors.
Kilkenny is a small city wrapped in a ring road, and that is the whole story of the test. The N76, N10 and N77 loop the built-up area, and both test centres sit on Hebron Road right where the N10 and N77 meet. Get comfortable on those roundabouts and the rest follows.
Then the routes drop you into the medieval core. Narrow streets, one-ways, parked cars and people stepping off the path around Patrick Street and the High Street. The speed limit falls fast as you come in off the ring road, and a lot of marks are lost by reading that a beat too late. We drill the approach so it is second nature.
Out past the city it changes again. The M9 motorway skirts the county, but learners stay off it and the test never uses it, so that is for after you pass. The R700 and R712 run single carriageway to Thomastown, Bennettsbridge and Castlecomer with bends and farm entrances all the way. Wherever you are in the county, your instructor teaches you on the roads you will actually be tested on.
The roads you will learn on
- Ring roadThe orbital route round the city is built from the N76, N10 and N77, from the Callan Road Roundabout over the Nore at Ossory Bridge to the Castlecomer Road Roundabout. Both centres sit right on it at Hebron Road.
- M9 and N10The M9 links Kilkenny toward Waterford one way and Carlow the other, with the N10 spur dropping off it near Paulstown to feed the ring road. The motorway is off limits to learners, so your lessons and the test stay on the N10 and the roads around the city.
- R700 and R712The regional radials. The R700 heads for Thomastown and Bennettsbridge, the R712 follows the old Dublin Road through Castlecomer. Plenty of single carriageway, bends and farm entrances.
- City streetsThe medieval core means narrow one-ways, tight junctions and pedestrians around Patrick Street and the High Street, mostly in the 50km/h zone. Reading the limit as it drops is the test.
Everything you need to pass, in Kilkenny.
One school for the whole thing, from your first lesson to car hire on the day of the test. Manual or automatic, your call.
Manual driving lessons
One-to-one manual driving lessons in Kilkenny with an RSA-approved instructor. Single lessons or a package of 2 to 12, on your own roads, at your own pace.
Automatic driving lessons
Automatic driving lessons in Kilkenny, the same approved instructors and the same local routes. Two pedals, less to think about, often quicker to test-ready.
EDT: the 12 essential lessons
Every learner completes the 12 Essential Driver Training lessons. We deliver the full EDT in Kilkenny and log each one to your account, so your logbook stays up to date.
Pretest and car hire
A focused pretest lesson on your local test routes, then car hire for the test itself, so you sit it in a car you already know. One and two hour options, manual or automatic.
Gift vouchers
A driving lesson gift voucher, delivered instantly and redeemable against any lesson package. A popular 17th birthday or well done present.
Beginners and nervous drivers
Never sat behind the wheel, or coming back to it after years off? Most Kilkenny learners start exactly there. Calm instructors, quiet roads first, then the test routes.
Most schools take your number. We give you the whole platform.
Book, pay, reschedule and track every lesson to your test, all from one account. This is the booking platform, not a callback form.
- Book from your instructor's calendar
See real availability in Kilkenny and grab a slot that suits you. No phone tag.
- Prepaid lesson credits
Buy a package once and draw down as you book. We nudge you when you are running low.
- Your EDT, tracked
Every lesson counts toward your mandatory 12. You always know where you stand.
- Reschedule online
Plans change. Move a lesson in a couple of clicks and everyone gets the update.
Drivers made here.
"I completed my lessons with John and couldn't recommend him more. He is a great teacher and helped me improve a lot throughout. I just passed my test in Tallaght with only 1 fault."
"I did my lessons with Andy O Shea in Naas, and I literally could not have had a better experience. Learning to drive can seem scary at the start, but Andy taught me how to be a fully confident driver."
"Brilliant experience in Dun Laoghaire. Instructor was calm, knowledgeable, and really prepared me for the test."
The things people ask us about Kilkenny.
Where will I sit my test in Kilkenny?
There are two centres, both on Hebron Road in the city: O'Loughlin Gaels GAA and the Government Buildings. We teach the routes out of both, so wherever your test is booked, you will have driven those roundabouts and estates first.
Do you cover the whole county or just Kilkenny city?
The whole county. Callan, Thomastown, Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh, Mooncoin, Freshford and the smaller villages too. Tell us your town and we line you up with a local instructor.
How many lessons will I actually need?
The EDT course is twelve lessons, and that is the legal minimum for a first licence. Some people want a few more before the test, some are ready bang on twelve. Your instructor is honest with you either way.
Can I learn in an automatic, or only manual?
Both. Most learners go manual so the licence covers everything, but if automatic suits you better, we sort that. Pass in an automatic and your licence is for automatics only, so it is worth a quick chat first.
Your Kilkenny instructor is a two-minute form away.
No payment now. Pick your town, and we will route you to a local instructor who knows both Hebron Road centres.