Automatic Driving Lessons in Cabinteely

South-east Dublin residential village on the N11.

4.7 from 814+ learners 85% pass rate Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre (approx 5 km north)
4.7 stars from 814+ reviews
85% pass rate
RSA-Approved Instructors
EDT Certified

Lessons in Cabinteely, at a glance

Where we pick up, where you sit your test, and what the local roads ask of a learner.

Local population
~8,000
Test centre
Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre (approx 5 km north)
Pickup points
2 named spots, plus your home, work, or college
Transport context
Dublin Bus 84, 84a, 84x
Cabinteely centre Pickup points
  • Cabinteely Park
  • Cabinteely Library

Or wherever else suits you in Cabinteely: your home, your work, your college.

Why automatic makes sense in Cabinteely

Three things you will notice in your first few hours behind the wheel here.

Stop-and-go traffic without the stalls

Around Cabinteely Park and Cabinteely House, you will deal with bunched-up traffic, parked cars, and pedestrians stepping off the kerb. In an automatic you can keep your eyes on the road instead of the bite point.

Junction work, not gear work

Brennanstown Road, Cabinteely Bypass on the N11, Kilbogget Park slip roads, speed-calmed village centre. Junctions like these are where most learners pick up faults. A two-pedal car removes the gear-and-clutch decision so you can focus on observation and timing.

Buses, cyclists, and shared lanes

Dublin Bus 84, 84a, 84x. You will share lane space with buses and cyclists from your first lesson. Automatic gear shifts keep your road position smooth when traffic is moving in fits.

Why automatic · safer

The 35-point pass-rate gap

Two numbers tell the story. The Irish national pass rate, and ours. The gap is the margin a calmer learning process creates, for everyone, not just learners in Cabinteely.

Manual

Three pedals, more to manage

  • Clutch control under time pressure
  • Stalling at busy junctions
  • Rollback on Dublin hills
  • Gear choice on roundabouts
  • Left foot busy in heavy traffic
National pass rate
~50%
Automatic with us

Two pedals, full attention on the road

  • Focus on mirrors from lesson one
  • No stalling, ever
  • Hill holds automatically
  • Gears handled by the car
  • Left foot rests, eyes up
Our pass rate
85%

Examiners record faults across seven categories. Three of the top four (observation, progress, vehicle controls) are exactly the ones that compete for attention with clutch control in a manual.

Essential Driver Training

EDT in Cabinteely: what it actually is

The EDT is the 12-hour lesson programme every Category B learner has to complete before sitting the driving test. The Road Safety Authority introduced it in April 2011. It's mandatory, it's logged, and you can't skip it.

Our 12-lesson automatic package covers the full EDT requirement in a modern dual-controlled automatic vehicle. Your instructor signs off each unit in your EDT Learner Logbook as you go, and lessons run from a Cabinteely pickup of your choice.

  • 12 one-hour lessons. The minimum set by the RSA. Most learners add a few extras before they feel test-ready.
  • Logbook signed off lesson by lesson. You can't book the driving test until all 12 are complete and signed.
  • Sponsor driver records practice between lessons. Anyone with two-plus years on a full licence. Practice goes in the same logbook.
  • RSA-approved instructor (ADI). Every instructor we send out is on the RSA register. That's the only kind we hire.

Three ways to start in Cabinteely

EDT, pretest prep, or a gift voucher. Pick the one that fits where you are.

Pretest + car hire

Test in the same automatic you trained in.

  • Pretest lesson before the test
  • Use of our car for the test itself
  • Mock-test marking sheet included
  • Designed around Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre (approx 5 km north)
€193.81 pretest + test-day hire
Book pretest

Or call 01 902 3100

Gift voucher

Lessons as a gift. Any number, any pack.

  • 1, 6, or 12-lesson packs
  • Personalised PDF, sent on the day
  • Redeemable in Cabinteely or anywhere we cover
  • Never expires
From €61.41 single-lesson voucher
Build a voucher

Or call 01 902 3100

4.7 from 814+ learners. 85% pass rate. 35 certified instructors across Dublin.

Real reviews from learners across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown

Verified Google reviews from learners across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, the area covering Cabinteely.

Cannot recommend Jonathan Martinez from enough if you are learning to drive in the Dun Laoghaire/Deansgrange areas. He breaks everything down and makes learning how to drive really enjoyable!
Laoise Brady Instructor: Jonathan Martinez · 18 weeks ago
I completed my 12 EDT lessons with John, and I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. As a first-time learner, I was quite nervous in the beginning, but John’s calm, patient, and clear teaching style really helped me build confidence …
Dominic Percy Instructor: John · 20 weeks ago
I passed my driving test on the first attempt with Jonathan Martinez in an automatic, and I would strongly recommend him to anyone looking to build their confidence behind the wheel.
Stefan Wroblewski Instructor: Jonathan Martinez · 39 weeks ago

From 814+ verified Google reviews of RSA School of Motoring

Pretest + car hire: why it matters

The Category B test isn't just a driving check. It's a fault-counting exercise on a fixed route the examiner runs every day. Half the people who fail say afterwards that nothing on the route surprised them. What surprised them was how the marking worked.

A pretest with us closes that gap. We run the routes the examiner uses out of Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre, mark you against the same RSA fault sheet, and tell you exactly which observations and manoeuvres need work before test day. You come out of the pretest knowing the difference between a competent drive and a test-passing drive.

If you train with us, the same automatic comes back on test day. You don't sit a test in a strange car you've never driven.

More on what the driving test actually involves

Are you test-ready for Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre?

Four quick questions. Honest answers only. We use them to point you at the right next step.

Question 1 of 4

Have you completed your 12 EDT lessons?

Automatic Lesson Prices in Cabinteely

6 Automatic Driving Lessons

€353.71
€58.95 per lesson

3 Automatic Driving Lessons

€180.57
€60.19 per lesson

1 Automatic Driving Lesson

€61.41
€61.41 per lesson

Common questions about lessons in Cabinteely

A single automatic lesson is €61.41. Our best value is the 12-lesson EDT package at €659.24, which works out at €54.94 per lesson. Every lesson in Cabinteely includes pickup and drop-off, and the same automatic comes back for your driving test if you book the pretest add-on.

Pickup is flexible. Your instructor collects you anywhere within Cabinteely: your home, work, college, or one of the named pickup points shown on the map above. You're back at the same spot at the end of the lesson.

Learners in Cabinteely typically sit their driving test at Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre. We design our pretest lessons around the routes the examiner uses out of that centre, and we provide the automatic for test day so you don't have to learn a new car the day of the test.

Yes. Every instructor we send to Cabinteely is EDT certified and on the RSA Approved Driving Instructor register. That's a regulatory requirement, not a marketing line. Our 12-lesson automatic package covers the full EDT programme: 12 one-hour sessions, logbook signed off lesson by lesson, sponsor-driver practice slots between lessons.

Yes. We provide an automatic car for the test as part of our pretest package. Note that if you sit the test in an automatic, your full licence is restricted to automatic vehicles. To get a full manual licence later, you would train and test in a manual car separately. For most learners that restriction doesn't matter. Automatic, hybrid, and electric cars are the majority of new cars sold in Ireland.

Other automatic-friendly areas near Cabinteely

We cover 6+ surrounding neighbourhoods in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. Pick the one closest to your pickup point.

Ready to start automatic lessons in Cabinteely?

Call us on 01 902 3100 or book online.

Call 01 902 3100 Book Lessons