Welcome To
Photo Gallery 2013
Photo Gallery 2013
"Learning Is A Treasure That Will Follow It's Owner Everywhere"
I was never as happy as I was today, when I saw the look on Stacey's face and just knew she had passed 1st time out. This was so important to her because she is heading off to Australia in January to make a new life for herself and she had put in so much effort to get her licence. What a wonderful Christmas present for her. Congratulations Stacey and I wish you every success in Australia. Don't ever forget the baddie basher...lol.
Date Test Passed:-
Wednesday 11 December 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Wednesday 11 December 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"First of all Ray thank you so much for all your help I still can't believe I passed on my first attempt at the test! I came to Ray for my final 7 EDT lessons. His methods of teaching and instructing are great, all in an easy to understand manner. We were able to have laughs along the way but when it comes to it, Ray makes sure that you know your stuff. I can't recommend this man enough and found that Ray really motivates you and makes you want to do well. I found the mock test a great help too and would recommend that other students take it before their test. Thanks again Ray I really appreciate your patience, encouragement and guidance. You're an excellent instructor and I would highly recommend you to anyone. Best of luck with everything."
Stacey Claffey.
If ever a man deserved to pass his Driving test, it has to be Danny. The amount of practice and effort he put into his driving and manoeuvres suggested only one thing.....he wasn't going to fail. A very nice down to earth man who I liked very much from the beginning. Congratulations Danny and I wish you many safe years of driving. Don't forget all the good habits and go back to the old ones. It's much easier now to do things right.
Date Test Passed:-
Friday 22 November 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Date Test Passed:-
Friday 22 November 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
"I got it Ray. A million thanks for all your support. The examiner said I done very well. Thanks again".
Danny Atimama.
A very down to earth young lady who loves her sports and is huge into football. She is so determined in doing everything right and her driving was no exception. Caoilfhionn did all her EDT programme with me and was an excellent student and remembered everything really well. Congratulations Caoilfhionn on achieving your full licence on your very 1st attempt.
Date Test Passed:-
Friday 01 November 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Friday 01 November 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Thank you so much Ray for all your help over the last few months. I am thrilled to bits and didn't mind missing out on the Hallowe'en fun in college so long as I passed my test today. Thanks again".
Caoilfhionn Culliton.
When I first met Chen, he was just like any other EDT student, except for one thing...his English language was very poor, so for certain lessons I would have to call upon his wife Ava, to sit in and translate for me. However, despite been very unlucky on his first attempt back in July, missing out by only one mark, today proved he was never going to make the same mistake again. Congratulations Chen, what a journey it was for us both. Well done.
Date Test Passed:-
Wednesday 16 October 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Wednesday 16 October 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Thank you so much for everything Ray, I'm so happy....love you...lol"
Xiang Min Chen.
I remember back when Jack came to me first and started off on his EDT training. He put in a lot of work but was so nervous on his 1st attempt at the driving test back in July that he actually broke my car key in the ignition. Today, however, Jack was so determined to do well and make amends, that he got the result he greatly deserved. Congratulations Jack. It was a tough road for you but you came through with flying colours in the end. Well done.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 10 October 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 10 October 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Huge thank you to Ray for helping me pass my test last Thursday, I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for all your help and support these past few months. I would highly recommend Ray and 1 ROCK SOLID DRIVING SCHOOL to any current and future learner driver. Brilliant driving instructor and a Rock Solid legend!!!!!!!"
Jack Brennan.
I first met Sabina back on the 16th August and she was just after purchasing her first car. At only 21 years old, I have never met a more determined young lady who was willing to put in so much effort into her lessons. She really worked so hard and with college and her music schedule thrown into the mix, it's amazing how she did it all. I knew when I did the mock test yesterday that she would pass on her 1st attempt and today she came back with only 2 Grade 2 faults against her. Congratulations Sabina. Well done.
Date Test Passed:-
Tuesday 08 October 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Tuesday 08 October 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Aw Ray, where to start! It's been what felt like the longest of journeys, but really only been a short while. The experience and teaching I've learnt from you has been invaluable. Your attention to detail is second to none and because of that I passed first time. Every single time I got a lesson with you I learned more and more and it really stands to my driving. As we became friends you still never let down the teaching guard which I really respected and appreciated because it was always beneficial and in a relaxed teaching environment. Like you said failure wasn't an option and when something didn't go right you always did it again and practice made perfect on the day. I can't thank you enough for being there with me today and being such a big part in my driving experience and helping me pass my test. Any student is lucky to have you as a teacher and take your advice and teaching on board because it's clear that you love what you do and you are a perfect example for a learner driver to not only learn how to drive, but how to drive well and safely."
Sabina Carthy.
I first met this very down to earth lady back in July and from the very start, we just clicked. We had some great laughs along the journey. But it was always in the back of my mind that Krystle was doing this because of a request from her late partner to get lessons and I just couldn't let her down. For 2 months we worked solid to make it perfect and today, Krystle kept her promise and was out and back in 19 minutes with only 1 recorded fault. Congratulations Krystle. I'm so proud of you. You deserve it so much.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 19 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 19 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"I just want to say a big thanks to you Ray. I know you don't want to take credit for me passing, but it was you who helped me, and I never would have passed without you. It's been such an emotional rollercoaster for me, but you are so professional in what you do and you made it just so easy. I didn't only find a great driving instructor but also a great friend for life. Thanks again Ray".
Krystle Nolan.
Date Test Passed:-
Saturday 14 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Date Test Passed:-
Saturday 14 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
The happy couple pictured together who both passed their Driving Test today in Portlaoise. Best wishes to them both and especially to Edwina who is currently pregnant with the couples 1st child. I wish you both every happiness and success in both your driving and your new family, and may the road always rise to meet you. Congratulations Edwina & Sean.
Sean was the 2nd one out on the test after Edwina above. The had both made a pact with each other not to tell the result of the first person until all tests were over. The look that I saw on both their faces when they told each other that they had passed was absolutely fantastic. Congratulations Sean on a great drive. Only 2 faults recorded for you. I wish you every success and safe driving for the future. Keep it between the lines. Well done.
Date Test Passed:-
Saturday 14 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Date Test Passed:-
Saturday 14 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
"Thanks a million Ray for helping me pass my test in Portlaoise.. You were very accommodating and patient with me and I felt you taught me to the highest standard of driving. I would highly recommend you to anyone.. . Thanks again".
Sean Meade.
An amazing story that Edwina and her partner Sean both had their Driving test on the same day, at the same test centre and within 1 and a half hours of each other. A truly lovely girl who was so nervous about the test and got so worked up over it that she could hardly sleep the night before. She really worked so hard for the last 2 weeks trying to break all her bad habits and today it paid off with only 3 marks against her. Congratulations Edwina.
Date Test Passed:-
Saturday 14 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Date Test Passed:-
Saturday 14 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
"A massive thank you to Ray for helping me pass my driving test... we both worked so hard over the past 2 weeks and it paid off with my new pink licence... Thanks again Ray, you were so patient with me and I would recommend you to anyone who is trying to pass their test."
Edwina O' Neill.
Believe it or not, I only met Dave for the first time ever, only 3 days before his test. And at that, it was only by pure chance at a garage. He told me that he was unfortunate on the test on 3 previous occasions due to lack of observations. So when we hit Tullamore, I showed him some easy ways of remembering how to observe correctly. One hell of a nice guy who really deserved to pass his test today. Congratulations Dave. Job well done.
Date Test Passed:-
Wednesday 04 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Wednesday 04 September 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"A massive thank you to Ray. Yesterday morning at 10am, I sat behind the wheel of Ray's car for the first time and by 1 o clock I was leaving the test centre with a nice pink license. A 2 hour course with stories on street furniture. A straight talking, honest and a brilliant teacher, I cannot recommend Ray highly enough. Thanks again".
Dave Eustace.
When Kieran rang me up and said his test was in one week, I suggested we start his training immediately. Without hesitation, he agreed and we got stuck into it straight away. His focus was very much in the way of someone who actually wanted to pass this test and meant every single lesson. He worked very hard at perfecting both manoeuvres and because of all his hard work and effort, the result was the perfect outcome. Congratulations Kieran.
Date Test Passed:-
Friday 16 August 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Date Test Passed:-
Friday 16 August 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
"Just want to say a huge thanks to Ray and 1 ROCK SOLID DRIVING SCHOOL for helping me pass my Driving test. Thanks a million. You have the patience of a saint Ray...haha"
Kieran Connolly.
It was Gary's partner Amy who first introduced Gary to me. Amy herself is already one of my students and when she knew Gary's test was coming up, she persuaded him to take his lessons with me. And all his hard work really paid off for him because this afternoon on his very 1st attempt, he absolutely nailed it. One hell of a nice guy who got the result he so greatly deserved. Congratulations Gary. Job well done. Best wishes and safe driving to you.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 18 July 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 18 July 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Hi Ray, just want to say a massive thank you for helping me pass my test today. Two weeks ago I got in contact with you and gave you the enormous task of getting me through my test in such a short amount of time, but we got there together!! You got rid of almost two years of bad habits and made driving so easy and enjoyable. Thanks very much, I cant recommend you enough!! Cheers Ray! "
Gary Tracey.
Tadhg had attempted this test back in March and was very unlucky with the result. But he was not determined to give up and so when the date for his new test was given to him, he contacted me immediately and got to work on his lessons again. After doing the Mock Test with him yesterday, I knew he would finally get the result he deserved. Congratulations Tadhg. Well done.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 18 July 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 18 July 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Learning to drive with Ray isn't just to pass your Driving Test, but a valuable skill for life".
Tadhg Mathews.
I was absolutely thrilled for Keith today when he passed his test 1st time out. He was so looking forward to to just getting it over and done with and showed no nerves whatsoever. A very safe driver who was all the time focused on his lessons and showed a real interest in wanting to do well for himself, especially with his new job of been a mechanic. Congratulations Keith, and I wish you and your family many safe years of Driving.
Date Test Passed:-
Tuesday 02 July 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Date Test Passed:-
Tuesday 02 July 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
"Thanks for all your help Ray. I wasn't a bit nervous....just wanted to get out there and do it. I really needed that licence because of the job. I'm thrilled to bits. Thanks again".
Keith Dunne.
An absolute gentleman is the way I would describe Farhad to anyone. Extremely polite and a very nice guy. It was a joy to do all the EDT Lessons with him because he really took an active role in wanting to do really well. When I did the Mock Test yesterday, I just knew he would pass his Driving test 1st time out, and he did. Congratulations Farhad. Don't forget all the excellent habits that you have learned. Best wishes for the future.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 13 June 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 13 June 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Hey Ray, I was so happy today when I got my full licence this morning. Thank you so much for all your support. It wouldn't have been possible without you. When I met you 6 weeks ago for my first lesson, I was making a lot of mistakes. You made me able to correct all those mistakes and you have shown me the safe way to drive. I would like to recommend you to everyone. I only want to say that you're the best. Thanks a million".
Farhad Nasari.
When I first met Lydia, she was just a complete bag of nerves whenever she spoke of the Driving Test. However, I could see great potential in her and despite having a disaster of a mock test yesterday, I knew on the pre test lesson this morning that she was so motivated, confident and determined to make amends, that she would get through it, and she came back with only 2 Grade 2 faults. Congratulations Lydia....job well done.
Date Test Passed:-
Wednesday 29 May 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Wednesday 29 May 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Hey Ray, I would just like to thank you for all the hard and stressful times that I put you through coming up to my test. Seriously though, I couldn't have done it without you today. I'm going to book my 3 year old in with you if you're still instructing in 2027...lol..I can't stop smiling...time to celebrate now...thanks a million times over...xxx".
Lydia McDermott.
I first met this very polite young man back on 25th March and was very impressed by his mature attitude behind the wheel. Erik was an excellent student who really took any advice he was given and made it work to his advantage. When I did the mock test with him yesterday, I knew he would have every chance of passing his test on his 1st attempt and he did. Congratulations Erik and all the very best to you for the future.
Date Test Passed:-
Friday 19 April 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Friday 19 April 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"I have to give a big thank you to Ray for helping me get my full license today and helping me with all my lessons over the last 4 weeks. And I would recommend him to anybody either starting out from scratch or that just wanted to get prepared for their full driving test . Thank you very much Ray".
Erik Floody.
As you can see from the default photo, Yasser was a little camera shy and didn't want his photo published. A man of many years experience driving abroad he was very unlucky on his first driving test. Thanks to his wife who contacted me when his test was due, Yasser worked hard to correct all his bad habits and it paid off today having only received 3 Grade 2 faults. Congratulations Yasser and best wishes for the future. A very nice man.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 11 April 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Date Test Passed:-
Thursday 11 April 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
"Did my test in Portlaoise Test Centre today 11/4/2013 and PASSED. Thank you Ray for tutoring me and helping me get rid of my bad habits. I will recommend you to anyone I know who is facing the driving test. Excellent Tutor".
Yasser Boumenjel.
John has been with me from the very beginning and along with been shy is one of the quietest students I have ever met. A man of little words, but extremely polite. He was very unfortunate on his 1st attempt back in January due to nerves getting the better of him, but after yesterday's mock test, I had him down for 4 faults and that's exactly what he came back with today. Congratulations John and best wishes. You worked very hard for it.
Date Test Passed:-
Monday 11 March 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Date Test Passed:-
Monday 11 March 2013.
Test Centre:- Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
"Ray is a great driving instructor. Ironed out all my bad driving habits with his help and patience. And I would recommend Ray to any current or future learner driver"
John Wright.
I first met Joanne back in September. An absolute lovely lady who had the potential to be an excellent driver. Joanne did what was asked of her in all her lessons and was so positive about everything. I had no doubt about her ability to pass and this morning she came back with only one Grade 2 fault against her. Congratulations Joanne. Well done on your very 1st attempt.
Date Test Passed:-
Saturday 19 January 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Saturday 19 January 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"Passed today!! Absolutely delighted! First try! Couldn't have done it without Ray. He was a constant support and excellent teacher to me throughout the whole thing. Always very encouraging and is constantly reinforcing the correct procedures and giving really good feedback and constructive criticism. Thanks for everything Ray! You're the best!
Joanne Holland.
Dean has been with me from the very beginning and went through his EDT programme with little difficulty. He is very good at remembering things and we got along so well. I was so pleased for him that he passed his test 1st time out and is still only 17 years of age. Congratulations Dean. Job well done. REMEMBER RULE NO.1 ....SAFE DRIVING IS FOR LIFE......NOT JUST FOR LICENCE.....RULE NO. 2.....FIRST LEARN RULE NO. 1....
Date Test Passed:-
Tuesday 08 January 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Date Test Passed:-
Tuesday 08 January 2013.
Test Centre:- Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
"NAILED IT !! First time round we made bits of that test. No longer have to put up with your ugly mug Ray...lol... just kidding.. .... Ray remember this.... Rule No. 1....karate for defence only.....Rule No. 2......FIRST LEARN RULE NO. 1... no wiser words ever spoken from a wiser man.... Thanks Ray."
Dean Byrne.