Driving lessons in Ballymurphy
Ballymurphy lessons take the R702 along the Blackstairs foothills, then loop down through Borris and the R705 to Carlow.
Pass-rate and review figures are for RSA School of Motoring across the whole brand network.
Driving lessons in Ballymurphy, County Carlow
Ballymurphy lessons take the R702 along the Blackstairs foothills, then loop down through Borris and the R705 to Carlow.
The village sits 45 minutes' drive from the Carlow test centre at Carlow town. Lessons here cover R702 and the run into Carlow town.
The school covers Ballymurphy as part of the County Carlow Approved Driving Instructor pool. The Carlow examiner runs the route over the narrow Graiguecullen Bridge into the town centre on every test day.
Manual and automatic lessons run from Ballymurphy. The full EDT programme happens here. For Carlow lesson pricing across the package levels, see the price list, or book a pretest with car hire when test day approaches.
Your first driving lesson in Ballymurphy
1.
The gradient changes on the R702 mountain road.
2.
The village junction along the Blackstairs foothills.
3.
The R702 junction at Borris into the network.
EDT driving lessons in Ballymurphy
The full 12-lesson EDT programme runs from Ballymurphy. Your instructor picks you up from home, work or college, and the early lessons use the local roads here: R702. Later lessons step up to the run into Carlow town and the test centre approach.
The same Approved Driving Instructor takes you through every EDT lesson. You are not passed between three different people across the 12-lesson cycle. Manual EDT is €587.95 for the full 12 lessons (€49.00 per lesson). More about EDT.
Automatic driving lessons in Ballymurphy
Automatic lessons are available in Ballymurphy on the same basis: free pick-up from home, work or college, same local roads, same instructor across the full EDT cycle. Automatic EDT is €659.24 for 12 lessons. Passing your test in an automatic car gives you a Code 78 restricted licence, so the decision between manual and automatic is worth thinking through. More about automatic lessons.
Female driving instructors are available in Ballymurphy on request. Mention it when you book.
Ballymurphy junctions: what learners work on
The R702 junction at the village
The only junction in the village, on the R702 along the Blackstairs foothills. The T junction is the kind of feature where observation tends to slip if a learner hasn't worked it before.
We run this junction in the EDT lessons before the pretest, so by test day it's a repeat. Most Ballymurphy learners build their confidence here on the way in and out of Borris.
Driving lessons near Ballymurphy: roads and free pick-up
Lessons in Ballymurphy ride R702, with the Blackstairs Mountains and the R702 mountain road on the typical lesson loop.
The terrain is village; expect quiet rural roads with the occasional N or R crossing.
Instructor travels from Carlow town. The car is dual-controlled. Free pick-up from home, work or college is included in Ballymurphy.
Female instructors are available in Ballymurphy on request. You're not booking a course; you're booking a person who'll spend an hour with you and tell you what to work on next.
Nearby in Carlow: Borris, St Mullins, Myshall.
Meet some of the instructors
David H
"I keep the car calm so you can keep your head clear."
Mary
"Confidence comes from practice. I make sure you get plenty."
Andy
"I still get a buzz when someone passes first time."
What our learners say
I failed my driving test first time I did it with a different driving school. At that time I didn't feel the full support from my instructor and felt scared of making mistakes, resulting in me failing the test. Additionally, it was very expensive... totally not worth the money! So now, I changed my driving school and im with Paul Mc Caughey on behalf with RSA school of motoring and I passed my driving test on my second attempt... I felt the full support from Paul and he made me felt comfortable with my driving skills. I can honestly recommend RSA school of motoring for so many good reasons. Its reasonably good value, you get full support from your instructor, and their cars are very nice to drive. Thank you so much Paul and RSA school of motoring!
Passed my test on the first go thanks to my exceptional driving instructor , Derek Verso. The lessons were done quickly and very efficiently. I also did a couple of pre tests with Derek and this helped me stamp out any bad habits i may have been developing. Highly recommended driving instructor. Thank you Derek.
I had the pleasure of doing my automatic driving lessons with Mariusz Jablonski and I could not recommend him enough to anyone starting driving lessons. He did an amazing job at putting my nerves to rest from the very first lesson with clear communication and having confidence in me as a driver. I recently just passed my test first time with the help of Mariusz!! The contact from the school themselves was excellent also, always got back in touch in very little time compared to other schools i reached out to for lessons. I could not recommend Mariusz or the RSA School of Motoring enough for anyone starting out driving!
Pretest driving lessons from Ballymurphy
Ballymurphy's nearly forty minutes from the centre. The lesson is mostly the long run, then the test centre approach at the end. Pretest day is a meet-up at the Carlow centre. The lesson works the centre approach roads, not the long road in. Book a pretest lesson with car hire when test day is on the calendar.
Driving lessons in Ballymurphy: frequently asked questions
What's the price of driving lessons in Ballymurphy?
Manual is €53.27 a lesson, or €587.95 for the full 12-lesson EDT package. The 12-pack is the lowest per-hour rate on our list. The complete prices are on our pricing page.
Do you run EDT driving lessons out of Ballymurphy?
Yes. The EDT lessons start from your door on the R702. Because the centre is forty-five minutes away, the gradient changes along the Blackstairs foothills make for serious early lesson work. See the EDT page.
Is automatic driving available in Ballymurphy?
Yes, the automatic car comes from Carlow town. A single lesson costs €61.41, and twelve are €659.24. Our automatic page covers what changes if you sit the test in the auto.
Can a female instructor reach Ballymurphy?
Possibly. Ballymurphy is forty kilometres from Carlow town and the female instructor schedule books up first. Mention it on the contact form and we'll tell you which weeks have a slot.
Is there an extra charge for collecting me in Ballymurphy?
No. The hour starts at your door in Ballymurphy. The R702 run from Carlow is on us. We've tried both models and the door-to-door clock is the only one that's fair given how far the village sits from the centre.
How long does the drive from Ballymurphy to Carlow test centre take?
Around forty-five minutes, thirty-eight kilometres via the R702 through Borris and the R705 spine north. Test-day morning, your instructor will allow time for traffic at Borris and aim to land at the centre with twenty minutes to spare.
Will lessons cover the R702 mountain road through Ballymurphy?
Yes. The R702 along the Blackstairs foothills is the road most learners need to settle their gradient and gear changes on. We work it both directions and add the R702 junction at Borris as the cross-traffic step before the long run north.
Start your Ballymurphy lessons this week
The County Carlow Approved Driving Instructor pool covers Ballymurphy and the surrounding villages. Pick a Ballymurphy lesson package or call us to talk it through.
38 km from the centre. Same Approved Driving Instructor on every lesson.