Driving lessons in Laois, with an instructor who knows the Portlaoise routes
One test centre in the county, now at the Maldron Hotel on the Abbeyleix Road. We know the ring road, the Mountmellick Road and where the manoeuvres get set. Book the first lesson and see how you get on.
Your test is in Portlaoise. We know the routes.
Portlaoise passed 49.8% of car tests in 2023, a touch under the 52.3% national average (RSA figures). Most learners think the test is luck on the day. Actually, it is the route, and in a one-centre county there is only one to learn. The centre moved to the Maldron Hotel in 2024, so the start point itself has changed. Learn the current routes well, and you give yourself the best shot at the right side of that number.
Portlaoise (Maldron Hotel)
Lessons in your town, not a two-hour drive away.
Laois reaches from Portlaoise out to Portarlington, down to Rathdowney and up under the Slieve Blooms. We match you with an instructor who covers your end of the county.
Laois roads, taught by local instructors.
Most people in Laois book a driving school on price, then turn up on test day having never driven the Portlaoise ring road. That is the backwards way round. The roads you sit the test on are the roads you should be learning on.
Laois has one test centre, in Portlaoise. It moved to the Maldron Hotel on the Abbeyleix Road in 2024 while the old centre is rebuilt, so the start point itself has changed. Portlaoise passed 49.8% of car tests in 2023, a touch under the national average. That gap is not luck. It is the busy N80 junctions, the narrow Mountmellick Road and the tight estate manoeuvres around Maryborough. Drive them enough times and they stop being a surprise.
Whether you are in Portarlington, Mountrath, Abbeyleix or out near the Slieve Blooms, your local instructor brings the lessons to your roads and builds up to the Portlaoise test. Local roads, local instructor, local test centre.
The roads you will learn on
- M7 motorwayThe Dublin to Limerick motorway runs right past Portlaoise and bypasses Mountrath and Borris-in-Ossory. Learners are not allowed on it and the test never uses it, so the motorway is one for after you pass. Your lessons stay on the roads around Portlaoise.
- M8 and the M7/M8 tollJust south-west of Portlaoise the M8 to Cork splits off the M7 at Junction 19, with the toll plaza north of that split. Both are motorway, so learners stay off them and the test never uses them. They are for after you pass.
- N80 (Mountmellick to Stradbally)The county's main cross route. The Mountmellick Road end is long and residential and narrows in spots; the Stradbally Road end runs east out of town. Both feed the test.
- N77 Abbeyleix RoadRuns south from Portlaoise past the test centre at Meelick towards Abbeyleix and Durrow. The road you will start and finish your test on.
- Slieve Bloom and the plainMost of Laois is flat midland plain, easy first-lesson country. The Slieve Bloom Mountains in the north-west add hills and tighter rural bends near Clonaslee and Rosenallis.
Everything you need to pass, in Laois.
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 Laois 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 Laois, 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 Laois 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 Laois 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 Laois 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.
"Andy was my instructor in Naas. He made me feel completely at ease from the first lesson. Really patient and encouraging."
"Brilliant service. Passed my test first time in Raheny test centre with Shane as my instructor. Great instructor, calm and extremely knowledgeable."
"I passed my test in first attempt from Killester. Many thanks my instructor Florin for giving me driving lessons. He is the best teacher out there."
The things people ask us about Laois.
Where is my driving test centre in Laois?
Portlaoise, and it is the only test centre in the county. It is currently at the Maldron Hotel on the Abbeyleix Road at Meelick (R32 HKN3), where it moved in September 2024 while the old Government Offices centre is rebuilt. Make sure you practise from the current start point.
Do you cover Portarlington, Mountmellick and the rest of Laois?
Yes. We cover the whole county: Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick, Mountrath, Abbeyleix, Stradbally, Durrow, Rathdowney and the smaller towns and villages around them. Tell us your town and we line you up with your local instructor.
How many lessons will I actually need?
The EDT course is 12 lessons, and for a lot of first-time learners that is the right number. If you are nervous or starting later, you might want a few more. Your instructor is honest with you about where you are and when you are ready for the Portlaoise test.
Can I learn in an automatic, or just manual?
Both. Manual is the usual choice because a manual licence lets you drive automatics too. If automatic suits you better, say so when you book and we sort it. Either way you learn on the same Laois roads you will be tested on.
Your Laois instructor is a two-minute form away.
No payment now. Pick your town, and we will route you to a local instructor who knows the Portlaoise test.