#Dublin driving lessons

[nextleveldriving]

We are a team of RSA-approved professional and experienced driving instructors who are dedicated to helping new drivers learn the skills and confidence they need to safely navigate the roads. With over 30 years of experience and a commitment to providing quality education, we have helped countless individuals obtain their driver’s licenses and become confident drivers.

At Next Level Driving School, we believe that everyone has the right to a safe and positive driving experience. That’s why we offer a range of customizable programs and services to meet the unique needs of each student. From one-on-one lessons to specialized courses for new drivers, we have something for everyone.

Our experienced instructors use a patient and hands-on approach to teaching, and they are dedicated to helping each student build the skills they need to pass their driving test and become confident, safe drivers. Whether you’re a new driver or looking to brush up on your skills, we have the expertise and experience to help you succeed.

If you’re ready to start your journey to becoming a confident and safe driver, contact us today to learn more about our programs and services. We look forward to helping you reach your driving goals.

[templeoguedrivingschool]

Templeogue Driving School

Address

Broomhill Business Complex, Broomhill Rd, Tallaght, Dublin 24 Ireland

Phone

019125395

Website

Business email

info@templeoguedrivingschool.net

Description

When it comes to becoming a skilled and confident driver, finding the right driving school is paramount. Templeogue Driving School stands out as one of the best choices for you to embark on your journey towards passing your test. We focus on quality education, comprehensive training, and a commitment to excellence, At Templeogue Driving School we have earned a reputation as one of the leading driving school in Dublin.

Comprehensive EDT Driving Lessons: At Templeogue Driving School, we understand the significance of the Essential Driver Training (EDT) program in shaping responsible and skilled drivers. Our structured approach to EDT includes a total of 12 progressive lessons that cover various aspects of driving, ensuring you the learner are well-prepared to handle different driving scenarios. From basic vehicle control to complex traffic situations, our instructors will guide you through every step of the learning process.

Expert Instructors: Our team of highly qualified and patient instructors forms the backbone of Templeogue Driving School's success. We possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise in teaching individuals of all skill levels. Their ability to adapt teaching techniques to suit each student's learning style ensures that everyone gains the confidence and skills needed to pass your test

Tailored Pretest Training: The driving test can be a nerve-wracking experience for many. To ease the stress and increase the chances of success, Templeogue Driving School offers specialized pretest training. We conduct mock driving tests under realistic conditions, providing you with invaluable insights the test routs . This personalized guidance plays a pivotal role in boosting your confidence and readiness for the actual driving test.

[rathfarnhamschoolofmotoring]

Always better to reverse park!

[rathfarnhamschoolofmotoring]

Some times it feels like this!

[ankurkkr91-blog]

Mastering the Roads of Dublin: Unleash Your Driving Potential with Professional Lessons

Introduction:

Dublin, the vibrant capital of Ireland, offers a unique driving experience that demands skill, confidence, and knowledge of its bustling streets. Whether you're a novice driver eager to obtain your driver's license or an experienced motorist looking to enhance your driving skills, the key to success lies in enrolling in professional driving lessons. With ADI Driving School, the leading provider of driving lessons in Dublin, you can embark on a trans formative journey towards becoming a confident and competent driver.

Expert Instruction Tailored to Your Needs:

ADI Driving School understands that each learner driver has unique requirements, and our team of highly skilled and certified instructors caters to these individual needs. Whether you're starting from scratch or seeking to refine your skills, our comprehensive range of driving lessons is designed to accommodate learners of all levels.

Navigating Dublin's Streets with Confidence:

Dublin's bustling streets, complex road systems, and heavy traffic can be daunting for even the most experienced drivers. ADI Driving School's lessons emphasize city driving, equipping you with the necessary skills to navigate through the bustling streets of Dublin with confidence. Our instructors are well-versed in the intricacies of the city's road networks, roundabouts, and challenging intersections, enabling you to master these maneuvers efficiently.

Safety First:

Safety is of utmost importance at ADI Driving School. Our instructors prioritize creating a safe and comfortable learning environment, allowing you to develop your driving skills without feeling overwhelmed.

By instilling defensive driving techniques, hazard awareness, and risk management strategies, they ensure that you become a responsible and conscientious driver, capable of handling any situation on the road.

Flexible Lesson Options:

ADI Driving School understands that everyone has unique schedules and commitments. We offer flexible lesson options, allowing you to choose the duration and frequency of your lessons according to your availability. Whether you prefer intensive lessons or a gradual learning approach, Our instructors can accommodate your preferences, ensuring that you progress at a pace that suits you.

Conclusion:

Embarking on your driving journey in Dublin can be a daunting task, but with ADI Driving School by your side, you can acquire the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to conquer the city's roads.

From personalized instruction tailored to your needs to a focus on safety and flexibility, our driving lessons provide an unparalleled learning experience.

Take the first step towards becoming a skilled driver by enrolling in ADI Driving School today and unlock your full driving potential in Dublin.

[ltoexcellenceie]

Tips for Choosing and Selecting the Right Driving School near You

The introduction of expert driving schools that can "make a difference" is a welcome addition to local communities, especially in light of the dismal history of driver's education in the United States. The annual death toll among American teenagers is around 20,000, and many times that number are involved in accidents that result in injury, expensive car repairs, higher insurance premiums, and other consequences. The following criteria can assist sort out the driver training program of choice in order to make the crucial informed decision about which driving school to choose:

Teens require an interactive program that keeps their attention and curiosity if they are to retain any of the information presented. Of course, this also applies to learning how to drive. They need to be constantly tested to ensure they are learning. Do they have a way for parents to provide feedback and contact with the Driving School Coolock via their website and/or feedback forms?

It is essential that the people teaching people how to drive are professionals. Inquire if the training was above and above what was expected. As some schools still rely on inexperienced police officers who excel only at strict law enforcement and not driver training, you should make sure the teachers have the appropriate training.

Lessons should be held in a convenient location, such as near your teen's place of study or residence. Behind-the-wheel experiences should be bookable online around the clock. Throughout the duration of the Automatic Driving Lessons Dublin 17 training process, there should be access to a dedicated customer center where questions may be answered and assistance provided. Few educational institutions can provide concrete evidence of the quality of their students' training at https://www.ltoexcellence.ie/. Do you have any reputable data showing how effective their lessons were? Is there a guarantee that I could get my money back if I'm not satisfied? Is their goal to get their students licensed, or to help them become safe, responsible drivers?

[myalgicencephalomyelitiscfstom]

I got my travel permit for my mobility scooter today. 😀 "To travel on Dublin Bus with your mobility scooter you must have a permit. This is because some mobility scooters are too big to fit on Dublin Bus buses. To find out if your scooter is the correct size and to arrange a permit, contact Dublin Bus’ Travel Assistance."

Travel Assistance Scheme in Dublin https://www.dublinbus.ie/accessibility/travel-assistance-scheme

I had another lesson today in getting on and off with my mobility scooter. This is a lot harder than my electric wheelchair which has a much tighter turning circle. There are loads of hand rails that can get in the way of turning (people on foot probably wouldn’t notice them). If you know the angles and spots to go to it is much easier. Though you still will need sometimes to ask people to temporarily move particularly if they have a buggy on the opposite side to the wheelchair spot. Also there are different types of buses on my routes with different internal layouts.

I'm going to have one more lesson but he is confident I could do it myself now.

As it says above, you need to get approved to use a mobility scooter on Dublin Bus. But even for powered wheelchair users, it's a great free scheme to build up confidence and realise for example that you may need to ask people to get up temporarily even if they're not in the wheelchair spot itself. It's like getting free driving lessons.

A lesson just to clarify is where they accompany you on the bus. So they meet you at the stop or in your home and you get on one live bus and get off it at the next stop and then get on another live bus, etc. Alternatively, as we did when I first started with my electric wheelchair: we got on a live bus (I was totally confused what to do as I didn't even know the spot or that you have to face backwards but the travel assistance helper sorted me out). Then we went to a bus terminus and practised getting on and off when a bus driver was on their break tilt I built up more confidence.

There is also a Travel Assistance Scheme in Cork https://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=757 .

I heard before they hoped to start them in other parts of the country such as Galway and Limerick.

[mariacallous]

Sipping pints of Guinness, swapping football shirts and purring about respect and new dawns, the British and Irish prime ministers seemed determined to inject long-absent warmth into the relationship between their countries when they met on Saturday. The thaw is overdue; Keir Starmer’s visit to Dublin was the first by a British PM in five years. In 2019, Boris Johnson’s visit came amid manifold anxieties about securing a Brexit deal, prompting a declaration from the Irish government that “the people of this island, North and South, need to know that their livelihoods, their security and their sense of identity will not be put at risk as a consequence of a hard Brexit. The stakes are high. Avoiding the return of a hard border on this island and protecting our place in the single market are the Irish government’s priorities in all circumstances.”

The distrustful atmosphere was a product not just of the June 2016 British vote to leave the EU, but a broader Tory ignorance about what the border in Ireland represented. The failure to consider that issue during the Brexit referendum campaign was compounded by simplistic distortions and assertions. The border was then resurrected as a touchstone, much to its discomfort, as imagined irascibly in the Twitter feed @BorderIrish: “I was just minding my own business, being a largely invisible little border that no one had thought about for years … after decades of misery … and then along comes Brexit, like some gobshite taking its first lesson, crashing all over the place.”

Unfortunately, it was worse than that for most Irish observers, who saw Brexit as many gobshites, driving multiple cars in too many directions with no knowledge of the destination. Ireland seemed a rock of political stability, maturity and calm as the Tories imploded. A deal was eventually struck that infuriated unionists as Northern Ireland remained half in and half out of the EU.

Brexit poisoned the well of British-Irish relations. The Tories’ romantic and selective view of Britain’s imperial past led to much renewed flexing of Irish nationalist muscles, a reminder of the continuing relevance of the observation by the then British ambassador to Ireland, Alan Goodison, in 1983 that in Anglo-Irish relations there was “a raw nerve which never sleeps”.

The desire to now reset appears genuine. Starmer, with an oft-expressed fondness for Ireland, a history of involvement with Northern Ireland issues and a strong component of staff with Irish links, is well placed to reduce strains. But we should not get carried away. One message that has resonated through the years is the advice given to another British Labour prime minister, James Callaghan, who, when he was home secretary, was urged to avoid “getting sucked into the Irish bog”.

That bog might be less perilous than it once was, but it still creates wariness in Britain.

Although the fervid days of the Troubles and violence are over and power-sharing has been restored in Northern Ireland, there are ongoing concerns about the prospects of Irish unity, immigration and the legacy of the Troubles. Starmer has committed to repealing the contentious Legacy Act, introduced by the Conservatives, which closed down criminal investigations into the Troubles. But what will replace it remains unclear.

Starmer is circumspect about Irish unity. And while historically there was the British Labour slogan “Justice for Ireland”, in practice there was much detachment and hesitancy about getting embroiled in Ireland.

Starmer’s Dublin visit generated healthy promises, including a formal annual summit between the two countries, protecting and developing an estimated yearly £100bn trade and business relationship, and nurturing cooperation on energy, climate change, sport, education and culture. There was also the assertion of the importance of both governments being co-guarantors of the Good Friday agreement.

None of this should be dismissed; geography as well as history has always been central to British-Irish relations, and what is being attempted is a recognition of the scale of our entwinements. But while a dose of British humility will be welcomed in Ireland and Starmer appears genuine, the Irish appetite for adapting to shifting British currents and priorities has waned.

Brexit fundamentally altered Irish foreign policy. The Irish public have consistently been enthusiastic about EU membership. Brexit deepened that; at the height of tensions in 2019, a Eurobarometer poll suggested Ireland topped the EU table for having a positive image of the EU at 63%. Only 7% had a negative image, hardly a surprise given the solidarity with Ireland shown by its EU partners amid the Brexit fallout.

Ireland’s foreign policy anchor lies heavily in EU waters. Security, the climate crisis, migration, economic and defence issues for Ireland demand more focus on Europe. The late historian Ronan Fanning identified a constant feature of the Anglo-Irish relationship when he observed in the most fraught days: “Britain looms larger in the Irish consciousness than Ireland in the British.” That endures, but it has faded somewhat.

When Starmer speaks of a British-Irish partnership reaching “its full potential”, he is also seeing that as a route to a warmer British relationship with the EU. That potential is somewhat limited; nor is the Irish consciousness quite as consumed by Britain as it once was.

[josiecarioca]

‘Mama, don’t preach” (New version, now with Eloise

Some of you may remember this Halloween one-shot (originally requested by @viper-official​ ), but since it was written, the Snape family gained a new adittion: Eloise. So here’s a little rewrite (that is obviously too late for Halloween). Enjoy! 

(Ao3 version: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43121653 )

Friday, October 30th, 2015.

Doolin, Ireland.

  Soren nearly threw himself out of the window of the car the moment he saw his grandmother´s house.

“Mam, stop the car!”

“Let him out, or he´ll try and fly through the windshield” Severus smirked. Evelyn stopped the car and unlocked the back door. Soren scrambled out of the vehicle so fast it was a small wonder he didn´t just fall flat on his face by the side of the road. Then off he went, running across the dry grass, muddy puddles and dead leaves.

Severus would always bemoan the fact that Evelyn insisted that whenever they visited her mother, they did the last leg of the trip, from Dublin to Doolin, by car.

“We can go anywhere in the world with magic,” he would always say “take the children and the luggage with us, anywhere you want, in a snap of fingers. Just say where. And yet you insist on this pointless 3 hour drive from Dublin. It makes no sense. It´s just going to get them cranky and tired for no reason.”

Maybe he was right. Maybe it was 'pointless', and it certainly made Soren cranky. Unlike Eloise, who blissfully slept most of the journey, or just entertained herself playing with her toys, watching the landscape change and rambling about all the magical creatures hidding behind every tree and rock, Soren could barely sit still for more than half an hour. Then again, having to sit still for any length of time made him cranky. Evelyn was willing to concede that Severus did have a point in that would be easier to just travel through magical means.

Easier is not always better, though.

She didn´t want her children to get too used to the idea that magic can make everything easy, or that they didn´t have to put any work into anything as long as he had a wand in his hand. Eloise was four, and starting to understand there was a difference between what was magival and what wasn't, and Soren...well, he would be ten years old the following day. The moment he would finally receive his letter approached fast, maybe too fast for her liking. Severus made sure that Soren was taught how to control his spontaneous bursts of magic, he taugh their son himself how to keep his magic in and how to use it in a controlled way. Little charms, tiny spells, little by little, so he´d get used to it. Eloise had been getting her first lessons as well. So they'd be safe.,

Paul's demise was always in the back of her mind, and from the moment Evelyn found out she was pregnant the first time she had started to fret. Severus knew it, and he took it upon himself to make sure their children were always safe, always protected against any accident. All of that was important, but Evelyn often had to remind Severus that Soren and Eloise weren't just wizards, they were half-blood whatever that meant according to the arbitrary conventions of wizarding society. They had a muggle family, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, cousins, and muggle friends. Evelyn herself, while not a muggle, wasn´t able to produce magic. Their children had to learn not everything can be dealt with or solved with the flick of a wand, and it had to be done from the earliest age.

Sure she could have made some exceptions. One thing was having the kids do a couple everyday chores without the use of magic, quite another was to have them sit still inside a car for 3 hours when they could easily be in Doolin in a snap of Severus' fingers. But Evelyn didn´t want them to miss out on the anticipation, on the feeling of waiting for something you want so much you feel like jumping out of your skin. They were growing up fast, much too fast. Evelyn wanted them to hold on to that feeling for a little while longer.

Doolin was a land of dreams for her children. Which was funny, considering they routinely witnessed literal magic happening all around them. Doolin just had a different type of magic to it. No magic in the world could rival the view of the Cliffs of Moher as the sun set over the Atlantic, no magic could replace the stories of warriors, king, queens, ghosts and goblins great-grandmother Liz could tell, no quidditch match was as exciting as climbing trees or playing in the mud, and no charms nor spells could make Soren feel as he felt when he went out into the fields, to run through the ruins of the village´s remote medieval and Celtic past, or how Eloise felt when she build little fairy houses in grandma's garden. For them, who had a wizard for a father, magic was a mundane, everyday thing. Getting into a car and driving to the little village by sea where their mother was born, now that was just...different.

Evelyn did suspect there was another reason Soren was always so excited to travel to Doolin for the Summers, weekends and holidays. Said reason just so happened to be standing right outside her mother's front porch when they pulled over. No wonder Soren was so eager to get out of the car, Evelyn thought, looking on as her son almost tripped over himself to get to her.

Audrey Blake.

If it wasn´t for the fact that she could breathe, move and talk, Audrey could easily be mistaken for a life-sized doll. Her pink leggings had little black cats drawn on them and they matched her long sleeved black blouse, her powder pink ballerina flats were so pristine you´d think she had purposely avoided every single mud puddle left by the morning drizzle as she walked over from her house down the street, and not a strand of her short blonde hair was out of place, waves neatly held in place with multicoloured barrettes.

Evelyn had no idea what had happened to draw the two children to each other, but they were connected by that kind of profound friendship only children and a few very blessed adults can enjoy. There was, however, no denying the two were as different as the sun and the moon. Soren was bundle of barely contained manic energy, while Audrey was as calm as a lake on a clear spring day, Soren was so talkative he would make a parrot seem shy, and Audrey was so quiet and soft spoken one had to strain to hear her sometimes, where Soren was exuberant, loud and energetic, Audrey was delicate, sweet and serene.

Maybe that was the reason. Brash as he could be, Soren was also surprisingly kind and thoughtful if needed be. And Audrey was the kind of child that would bring fierce protective instincts out of the most hardened adult, let alone a boy like Soren, whose heart was so easy to win over. On the other hand, Soren´s no holds barred approach to everything in life meant he simply bulldozed through the rules and restrictions Audrey's mother kept making up to smothered the poor girl.

Catherine made it her life mission to make sure her daughter always looked and acted perfectly prim and proper, a doll rather than a living child. It was an endeavour Soren seemed hell-bent on ruining. The moment he stepped foot on Doolin there was no keeping the little girl in the neat little confines of frilly dresses and strict prohibitions. Soren didn't spare a single care to any of that. Audrey was his friend, and she would go on adventures with him regardless of what any adult had to say.

“Hello, love” Evelyn greeted her, running the tips of her fingers on her rosy, pudgy cheek.

“Come on, get yourselves inside, you two, it looks like it´s about to rain again. Careful not to track any mud in.” Severus said as he took Eloise out of her seat, gently waking her up, in that quiet tone Evelyn had come to identify as his particular way to show fatherly affection. Severus wasn´t all that prone to the cajoling and sugary displays of affection most people associate with parenthood. Is not that he wasn´t affectionate towards Soren and Eloise. He was, and deeply so. But Severus´affection was subtle; it was in the way he talked, adopting a quieter, warmer delivery to his words, in the way he messed Soren´s hair, or gave Eloise a quick kiss on the top of the head first thing in the morning, how he watched over them as they went about a task, the way he rested his hand on their shoulder and dropped to his knees to talk to them eye to eye, and how he listened to them with the same attention and respect he would dispense to an adult. Over time he started act the same with Audrey, to the point that the girl, meek and timid around nearly everyone else, seemed entirely well at ease with Severus, which was quite funny considering how most children who came into contact with him in Hogwarts felt about the notoriously scary DADA professor and war hero. To that muggle little girl however, Severus was just the gentle, if taciturn, father of her best friend, who was always nice to her.

“Mrs. Black is making scones and hot cocoa. She´s got cherry jam too, she gave me a little just now” Audrey told Severus, as they made their way inside. The mention of cherry jam seemed to wake Eloise up, and she squirmed to be put on the ground so she could run inside. “There you go, dove.”

“You´ve been here for a while, then.” Severus smiled, not surprised. Of course Audrey would be there since early in the day, waiting for Soren. What else was new?

“She has,” Evelyn´s mother, Sophia, confirmed, opening the dorr to let them in “even helped me with the scones. She´s got quite the talent for baking, this one.”

After the usual greetings, hugs and kisses, Severus brought the luggage in, and Evelyn followed her mother into the kitchen, where Soren, Eloise and Audrey were already sitting, waiting for an adult to get the pipping hot pastries out of the baking sheet.

“How´s your mam doing, sweetheart?” Evelyn asked Audrey, pretending she didn´t see her son dip a finger into the open jar of jam, then encourage his sister to do the same.

“She´s fine.” Audrey's smile disappeared when she answered, but then Soren started to talk about the latest additions to his personal library of adventure books, and she seemed to be herself again. Evelyn turned to her mother, but Sophia simply shook her head and proceeded to serve the scones.

“Mam?” Evelyn called, as the children started to eat with delight “Did something happen?”

“The poor dear is upset because her mam won't let her trick or treat.” he mother whispered, turning her back so Audrey wouldn´t hear

“Why not?”

“Last time I saw her in church, Catherine was going on about how Audrey is having trouble with her maths at school, so no costumes or trick or treating for her this year.” Sophia was visibly offended by the notion of denying Halloween to a child. “Can you believe it?”

“Well, it´s Soren´s birthday too, I'll have to talk to her.”

“You think I didn't try already, Lynnie? And I thought you weren´t having a party this year?”

“We're not, but I was planning to have a cake next Sunday, and we're taking the kids trick or treating tomorrow. Audrey always goes with them. I mean, they're best friends.”

“Well, go ahead and call her, but you know how she gets.” Sophia shrugged

“We´re all unpacked.” Severus announced triumphantly, entering the kitchen.

“Well, nothing like having a husband with a magic wand.”

“Told you my dad was a wizard, Audrey.” Soren proclaimed. The beauty of that age was that no matter how many times Soren and Eloise said their father was a mighty wizard, nobody would take it for anything other than children playing make belief. And since it never failed to get a smile out of Audrey, Evelyn and Severus played along.

No adult ever suspected a thing.

Evelyn gave her husband a quick kiss on the lips as he sat down to eat with the children.

“Where are you going? Have some tea at least.” he asked.

“I need to make a phone call, I´ll be right back.”

….

Evelyn braced herself for the conversation as the phone ran on the other side of the line. Catherine Ann Blake was famously difficult. It was just common knowledge. She had gotten worse since her husband passed away. Evelyn sometimes gave her the benefit of the doubt, that all she did, she did with Audrey´s best interest in mind, and that she maybe felt the need to be strict since she was raising a child on her own, but Evelyn´s tolerance for her antics had worn off a while ago. Catherine and Sophia were both active members of the local congregation, and Sophia had...stories. Evelyn hated the idea of a little girl as vulnerable and delicate as Audrey being raised by such an overbearing, moralistic and religious know-it-all, but she had to shut her mouth if she wanted her to continue to allow Audrey to spend time with Soren.

“Hello, Mrs. Blake? It´s Evelyn Snape.”

“Hello, Mrs. Snape. How may I help you?” Evelyn could almost hear the contempt in her voice.

Catherine didn´t like her or Severus much, and she didn't put much effort in hiding it. Evelyn didn't quite know why. Maybe Severus was too British and too eccentric for her standards, maybe Evelyn was a bit too flamboyant to be seen as a respectful wife and mother in her eyes, or maybe it was the fact that they had chosen a gay man as the godfather of their son. Last time Fin had come to Doolin for Soren's birthday, she couldn´t stop staring at him and Doug, visibly dismayed at the sight of a gay couple in a children's party. Evelyn hoped that wasn't the reason they had skipped the party this year, opting to give Soren his gift when the Snapes visited them in Dublin.

Catherine didn´t much care for their “ruffian of a son” either. She had overheard her call Soren that once. She suspected she would soon find some reason to start calling Eloise names as well. For the life of her Evelyn didn´t know what possessed that woman to even allow Audrey to play with him if she thought so poorly of their entire family, with the one exception being Sophia. Maybe there was motherly love in there to be saved, and she could at least understand that separating Audrey and Soren would hurt her daughter. Or maybe she just didn't want to be on Sophia's bad side. Which was quite more likely, to be honest.

“I´m calling because, as you know, Soren´s birthday is tomorrow and I was wondering if you would let Audrey come over to my mother's to spend the evening with us?”

“Audrey can´t go to any party for the time being, she´s grounded. I only let her come over to see your boy today because your mother asked.”

“Oh, we´re not having any party tomorrow. We just wanted to have Audrey over so she and Soren can play a little, if that´s possible. It will break his heart if he can't spend his birthday with his best friend, I´m sure you understand.”

“I don´t know. We have the Vigil for All Souls and Hallows in church tomorrow and I was thinking of taking her with me, I think she' about old enough to start having a more active role in the congregation.”

“I see. I know you work so very hard for the congregation. But maybe having Audrey there would distract you?” Evelyn could feel every muscle on her face going sore from the effort of spouting such large amounts of malarkey and having to be so courteous, when all she wanted was to tell that woman to take her bloody vigil and shove it. But she had to power through. For the kids. “My husband and I will gladly keep her for a few hours so you can focus on your work. I mean, the Vigil is very important, it will need your full attention.” Evelyn knew Catherine. Sophia wouldn't be there and she'd have the chance to run the entire thing, of course she wouldn't pass up the chance to push Audrey onto any available adult so she could rule over the vigil.

“I suppose there´s no harm in that.” she conceded after a moment´s hesitation

“And while we´re at it...I bought her a little princess costume and...”

“Audrey is grounded, Mrs. Snape. I told her she wouldn't be getting any costumes for Halloween this year, not until her maths improve.”

“Oh, I understand. In that case, maybe we can reach a compromise. Audrey comes over just to play with Soren for a little while, and I promise we´ll have her back home early. And I won´t put her in the costume I bought. I mean, it's a shame, of course, but rules are rules.”

“Well, seeing it's your boy´s birthday, and I'll be otherwise engaged, then I'll let Audrey go, but remember...”

“No princess costume, and she´ll be back home by 9. Thank you, Mrs. Blake.”

“What was that about?” her mother asked, coming out from the kitchen.

“We seem to have reached an agreement. Audrey comes over tomorrow, and I pinky promise not to put her in the lovely little princess costume I bought. Now, mam, do you know if Caitlin still has the girls´old Halloween costumes?”

“You just promised her you wouldn´t put her daughter in a costume.”

“No, I promised her I wouldn´t put her daughter in the princess costume I bought, specifically. But since I didn't buy any princess costume, I´m not breaking my promise if I put her in literally anything else.”

“Evelyn, we're never going to hear the end of it when she finds out!”

“She doesn't have to find out. The other church ladies have the Vigil for All Souls and Hallows Eve tomorrow evening, remember?  We´ll have Audrey back home and changed by the time she´s back from church. She´ll never suspect.”

Sophia tried to object, but before she could open her mouth, Evelyn was back in the kitchen, ushering the children from their seats.

“Come on, kids, we're going to aunt Cat's house.”

…

“Oh, my God, she´s is going to blow a fuse when she finds out you're taking her daughter trick or treating.” Caitlin told her as they went through the box full of old costumes. “I need to get some popcorn and a front seat for that.”

“She won´t find out.”

Audrey and Soren were taking all the costumes from the boxes Caitlin had hauled down from the attic and trying them on, then helping Eloise into different ones as if she was a little living doll. Audrey didn´t seem to have noticed they were also picking a costume for her, and simply enjoying what she saw as her only chance at Halloween dress up of the year.

“You're going to ask Audrey to lie to her mother.” Cat, lowered her voice, not the the kids would have listened anyway, they were too busy doing a little impromptu fashion show.

“Do you really think Audrey and her mother are having long and nice conversations about how the girl's day went? That hag is probably going to send the poor baby straight to bed the moment she comes back home. How about this one?”

“Dorothy...cute, but what are the rest of you going to wear? It would be nice if all five of you matched.”

“Five? As if I can get Severus in a costume. Seventeen years we've been together and he has never dressed up for Halloween.”

“Well, what did you expect? His fashion baseline is somewhere between victorian gothic and 70s  punk rock..The man dresses for Halloween all year long! Oh, look at this. Remember when Alice wore this one?”

“Wednesday Addams...” Evelyn mused for a moment. “Oh, yeah, that was the year I took Alice trick or treating dressed as Morticia Addams, wasn't it?”

“Of course I do, I was pregnant with Lizzie and no costume would fit me, and you were prancing about in that slinky black dress. I hated you so much.” Cat laughed. “I'm pretty sure mam still has that dress somewhere in her attic.Well, that's an idea for a group costume...Addams family? What do you kids think?”

“Can I be the grandma?!” Elois blurted alsmot imediately

“Don't you want to be Wednesday?” Audrey told her quietly. Evelyn could tell by the hind of sadness in her expression she was counting herself out of the dress up game.

“No.” Eloise answered as if she was about to explain something painfully obvious “Grandma Addams makes potions, she has the cauldron and all.”

Of course Eloise would prefer to dress as the one character who could brew potions in a huge steaming cauldron. She couldn't be more Severus' daughter if she tried. Incidentally, she just solved Evelyn's problem perfectly. It left the position of Wednesday open for somebody else...

“Even if Eloise wanted to be Wednesday, this dress too big for her.” Evelyn held up the garment, pretending to evaluate it. “But it would be perfect for you Audrey!”

Soren and Eloise both agreed immediately, Audrey didn't seem so sure.

“You'll be Wednesday and I'll be Pugsley.” Soren encouraged her

“I'm sure you have a stripped t-shirt somewhere.” Evelyn agreed

“”Can I bleach my hair?”

“No, you cannot.”

“How about dad?” Eloise suddenly remembered.

Caitlin thought for a moment before offering an idea:

“You should ask mam if she still has dad´s old black pinstripe suit. Have her air it out a little and Severus would make a great Gomez. You don´t even have to paint the dark circles under his eyes with makeup.”

“Yeah, right. He never wears a costume” Soren shrugged

“It´s just a suit...It´s not asking much, is it?”

October 31st, Saturday

The three piece pinstripe suit hanging by the back door of the kitchen nearly startled him as Severus came down for breakfast in the morning.

“What is that about?” he asked his mother-in-law, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Ask your wife.” Sophia shrugged “She asked me to air out her father's old suit, I´m just doing what she said.”

Something was off.

Sophia always refered to Evelyn as “my daughter”,  “Lyn” or “Lynnie”. Unless, of course. Evelyn had done something she disapproved of. Then Evelyn stopped being “my daughter” and became “your wife.”

Caitlin had come over for dinner the night before with her husband, Paulo. It had been a pleasant evening, but he couldn´t help but notice his wife and sister-in-law seemed to be plotting something. He didn´t think much of it, assuming it had something to do with Soren´s birthday. Caitlin would be working the night shiftfor Halloween, but she would be at the party the next day, maybe they we're making arrangements for that.

Looking at that suit hanging by the door, however, he started to suspect those two were having ideas, and he didn´t really like it when they had ideas.

“Where´s 'my wife' then?”

“At her gran's. She asked me about an old costume of hers, but I didn´t have it here, so it has got ot be there.”

“A costume, uh?”

“Yes, a costume.” Evelyn came up from behind him carrying a large plastic bag “Happy Halloween, darling!”

“So you´re taking the little monsters out trick or treating?” he observed, sipping his coffee.

“WE are. That suit is for you.”

“When did Halloween become a formal event?”

“I´ll be going as Morticia, and I´m dressing Soren and Audrey and Pugsley and Wednesday, and Eloise decided to be grandma Addams, so I had to raid grandma Liz's house for scarves and white yarn for a wig. Now we only need a Gomez.”

“What?”

“The Addams Family, Sev! Your sons's favourite films?”

Sometimes Severus struggled with muggle pop culture references. Before Evelyn, he had gone years having barely any contact with muggle TV, radio or music. After Evelyn however, he could keep reasonably up to date, and once Soren was old enough to start having his own preferences in terms of films and music, then he simply had to keep up. Fortunately, Eloise was more of a fairytale and books kinds of child. But even making an effort, he still missed some references here and there. This wasn´t one of those instances, however. Surely he had watched the early 90s films quite a few times, as Soren was obsessed with them, but even before that, he had been somewhat familiar with the 1960s American TV programme. He most definitely knew who the Addamses were.

“I do remember that, love” he smiled. “But I'm not putting on a costume. We have this discussion every year.”

“This year is different.”

“Your wife has decided she´ll start some trouble with Catherine Blake” Sophia interrupted them.

“Mam!”

“Audrey's mother? I'm afraid don't quite follow.”

“That self-righteous idiot has decided her daughter doesn't 'deserve' Halloween because the poor girl is not performing to her ridiculous standards in a few school subjects.”

“Oh, so you decided you're going to dress her daughter up and take her out anyway? Against her wishes?”

“Her mother is wrong, for starters.”

“She's still Audrey's mother, we can't just undermine her authority like that. Audrey is a lovely girl, but if she's struggling at school...”

“She´s not! Her grades are nowhere near as bad as her mother is making it seem. She simply didn´t ace her last exam.”

“While I agree, it´s a bit excessive, that IS her mother.”

“Severus, all Audrey does is study, do chores and go to church. It's a miracle Catherine even allows her to come over and visit my mother, and I suspect she only does that because she's afraid of what the other will thbink of her in church if she has a problem with my mother of all people. Can the child have a moment of fun!?”

“I understand, love, but you know that wretched creature better than I do. If she finds out you did this, you know what´s going to happen? She will forbid her daughter from being around Soren. You know she just needs an excuse.”

“She doesn´t have to know. Come on, Severus, it´s Soren's birthday. All I want is to take the children out to trick and treat for a few hours, it´s enough that Audrey can´t even come to his party tomorrow. And it would be lovely if you could come too. All you have to do is put on a suit. Soren will be over the moon! And you know what costume Eloise picked? Grandma Addams, because makes potions just like dad. ”

“Don't do that.”

“Do what?”

“This little emotional blackmail. I´m not doing this. End of.”

“Mam! Dad!” they heard the sound of Soren´s and Eloise coming down the stairs in full throttle.

“Look at my wee little spooks! Happy Birthday, Scary Boy!” Evelyn pulled their son into her arms showering his face with kisses. Severus didn´t miss the accusatory look she shot him as she did that.

Severus gave him a bear hug of his own, picking him up and noticing with a small pang of sadness that very soon Soren would be too big for him to carry around. It seemed he was getting taller by the minute. Sometimes Severus feared that one day he would blink and his boy would turn into a grown man right before his eyes. At least Eloise would still be small for a little while longer

“Happy Birthday, you little terror.”

“Oh, is that your costume, papa?!” Eloise jumped into Severus arms and pointed to the suit hanging near the door, her eyes damn near sparkling at the sight of it.

“No, dove. That´s just one of your grandfather's old suits. Your gran is airing it out.”

“But, papa...You never dress up for Halloween.”

Severus looked at Evelyn, silently begging her to help him find a way to explain this without disappointing them too much. She just shrugged and walked away, leaving him to the inglorious task of telling his children once again that he was a boring fool who didn´t dress up for Halloween.

…

“Oh, I didn´t remember this neckline being so...”

“Indecent?” her sister remarked, in stitches.

Caitlin had dropped by to help them get dressed before she had to start heading to the hospital. Evelyn had decided to get dressed before dressing the children. For one it would take forever to cover her healthy rosy-olive complexion, still ever so slightly tanned from the Summer months with a thick layer of ghost-white makeup. Then there was the business of getting into that skintight dress. The zipper certainly required help after being in the closet for 20 years. She had to spend the whole morning at her grandmother´s looseing the dress up a bit so she could fit.

Evelyn was proud of her figure, but since Soren was born she would always have a couple pounds and a few inches more than she considered ideal, and nearing her mid-50s, she certainly couldn´t hope to fit into a dress she had last wore when she was in her early 30s without some help, and grandma Liz had performed nothing short of a miracle.

“Do I look ridiculous?”

“Not at all. I dare say you wear it better now. You fill it out more.”

Evelyn looked at herself in the mirror. The fact that wizards, witches and squibs all had a longer time span than muggles certainly helped. The 50s were not even middle-age for non muggles, and all too often it was their prime in terms of looks. She was fuller than she had been in her 30s, but she was happy with how her curves filled the dress, how generous and supple they looked. The white makeup and red lipstick were stark and severe, and so was the black wig, which was a little too artificial-looking for her taste, but all and all she could pass for a very adequate Morticia Addams

“I´m just glad I can breathe and walk, I was expecting to look like a sack of potatoes.”

“Nonsense. Now lets get the little monsters in their costumes because Paulo will be here any minute”

“Paulo is coming?”

“He worked the morning shift. And since you won't have a Gomez, we figures you should at least have an uncle Fester. Or something like that, we couldn´t find a bald cap in such short notice, but he did have a trenchcoat.”

  ….

“Severus is not even coming with us out of costume?” Paulo asked, seeing her leave the house with the children. His costume was barely a costume, he had just thrown a long coat on after coming home from his shift, and hastily applied some white to his face. His version of Uncle Fester had a full head of hair and thick rimmed glasses, but at least he was there, Evelyn thought with more than a hint of bitterness.

“Apparently not. He wants no part in our little plan.” she smiled

“You'd expect him to be a bit more adventurous. Well, shall we then, crianças? I brought a camera, it´s not as good as uncle Fin's, but we´ll get some neat shots.”

“A camera, Paulo?”

“We didn't dress up this nice for mobile photos. And I´m pretty sure a proper Addams would prefer a camera.It´s more...vintage.”

Before they went on their way, Evelyn felt Audrey pulling her hand. She looked down at the little girl, and saw she was nervously twisting one of the braids of her black wig, her pretty green eyes staring at the ground.

“Auntie Lyn?” she called, in a wispy little voice. Evelyn didn´t remember exactly when Audrey had started calling her and Severus “auntie Lyn” and “uncle Sev”. Maybe she had simply heard Alice and Lizzie do it, and felt like it was appropriate. Neither of them ever felt like correcting her or changing that. It wouldn't feel right to have Audrey call them “Mr. and Mrs. Snape”.

“Yes, love?” Evelyn got down to her knees as best as the dress permitted.

“Mam said I can´t go trick or treating.” She looked so worried Evelyn's heart broke a little.

“She did. And you´re right, you should obey your mother, and those are her rules. But I don´t have to obey her. She left you with me, and my rules are different than hers.”

“She'll be mad.”

“Maybe she will. But that's not your fault. You´re a good girl, love, you just did as I told you. I put you in a costume, so if she has a problem with that, she can talk to me, ok?”

Audrey seemed unsure at first but her hesitation all but vanished when Soren approached and took her hand. They were ready to go.

Or almost.

“Aren't you forgetting something?”

There he was.

Severus Tobias Snape. The man who never in his life had worn a Halloween costume, even after his first child was born on Halloween and just happened to celebrate his every birthday by dressing up and trick or treating.

There he was, in her late father´s old three piece black pinstripe suit, his hair parted down the middle and slicked back with pomade and a pencil thin moustache that looked so natural Evelyn suspected he had used some potion to grow it, instead of just using a fake one.

Evelyn had to admit it, he wore it well...very well.

So well in fact, she immediately thought of taking it off of him.

“Dad, you dressed up!” Eloise exclaimed, her white yarn wig bouncing all over the place as she ran to father, tripping over the longs skirts of her makeshift grandma Addams costume .

“Yes, I did, dove.” he picked her up, taking her toy cauldron on his free hand “But we shall not make a habit of it, ok?”

“Well, you certainly look dashing” Evelyn told him, barely louder than a whisper, as they made their way out into the street in the midst of all the other children and adults in costumes.

“Thank you, Lynz. You look exceedingly stunning yourself. Almost makes me wish this wasn´t a celebration for children” he smirked, offering her his arm.

“Oh, hush, you devil..”

…

Severus knew that wouldn't work out. He just knew it.

Everything was going too well.

The children were having fun, running around, getting sweets by the handful from everybody they ran into. Evelyn was in a glorious mood. She walked by his side, arm and arm, absolutely delighted. The fact that he had agreed to go along with her idea of dressing up the kids and themselves seemed to have pleased her so much Severus was sure he'd be in the receiving end of some rather delightful ministrations once the children were tucked in warmly in his bed, post-sugar rush.

So of course something would have to go wrong.

Severus didn't know what demon had whispered in Catherine Blake's ear and prompted her to leave the vigil early for some reason, all he knew was that she was out and about, walking among normal people as if he had the right to, and of course she had spotted her daughter. All he heard was a shriek, and then he looked back to see her coming towards them like she had emerged from the bowels of hell itself.

Never since Dolores Umbridge had he felt such unmentionable urge to smack a woman upside the head.

“Audrey Marie Blake!”

“Ma'am” Paulo tried to intervene but she walked right past him towards the girl. Evelyn placed herself in front of Audrey as if she feared the disgruntled shrew would hit her in front of everyone. And judging by the look on Evelyn's face Severus knew he had to do something quick or his wife would find a way to get herself arrested for attempted murder if Catherine as much as dared touching Audrey.

“Mrs. Blake” he spoke first, walking between her and Evelyn.

“Mr. Snape, I´m taking my daughter home right now. And tell your wife that...”

“Mrs. Blake, watch your tone, please. You don´t want to make a scene.”

“I should make a scene! I made it abundantly clear that...”

“Paulo” he turned to his brother-in-law for help, ignoring the woman´s fit “Take Lyn and the kids over to Mrs. O´Shea for a moment.”

“She´s not going anywhere!” Catherine roared as Paulo nearly dragged Evelyn and took the kids away. Audrey was on the verge of tears, and Soren looked about as ready to pick up a fight, and poor little Eloise was just confused, holding on to at her mother's skirts for dear life.

“Mrs. Blake. Look around. It's Halloween, you're surronded by families with their children. Do you really want to make a scene?” That seemed to get her attention “Because if you do, I can assure you I can make an ever bigger scene. In fact, I would love to do just that. Now say, Father Murphy is still at the church for the vigil, right? It would be awful if we happened to have words right in the middle of the street and news of it was to reach the good priest. What would he say, one of his most trusted helpers causing a scandal right in the middle of the street? And for what? A silly Halloween costume. Are you sure it's worth it?”

Severus could tell that harpy would claw his eyes out of their sockets if there weren't that many witnesses around. He smiled, a wide, mocking smile. Daring her to go ahead and make a scandal. He was dying for the opportunity to shame her in front of all the people whose opinion he knew she valued above her own daughter's happiness.

“Very well, Mr. Snape. This time around I´ll forgive your wife and let it go. But please have my daughter home by 7:30.”

“I'll have her home by 9...tomorrow.”

“Excuse me?”

“Since today is Hallowen and tomorrow we're having Soren's party, it's probably more convenient if Audrey just sleeps over. I can drop by later and pick up her pajamas, a change of clothes and anything else she needs."

"What? What makes you think I would..."

"And next time I see her, I'm very much looking forward to hearing all about the sweets and chocolates she got this evening, which you will most certainly not take away from her the moment she gets home. And of course, Audrey won't be telling me she got punished in any way, obviously." He smiled even wider, daring her to say something. Surely, Catherine had no way to know the source overwhelming compulsion to just go along with him, regardless of her actual desires, but he could tell she was confused and frustrated. Small blessings that muggles were so defenseless they didn't require the imperium curse to be manipulated. Just a simple non verbal charm could do it.

Defeated, Catherine huffed and puffed, shot him a murderous look and walked away, stomping so hard Severus anxiously expected the earth to open beneath her feet and swallow her whole. Alas, no luck.

"Good news, Audrey, your mother changed her mind about trick or treating and she gave you permission to come to Soren´s party tomorrow."

While the children celebrated and ran along to the next house, Paulo and Evelyn exchanged confused looks.

"How did you..." Paulo asked, confused.

"You didn´t hex her, did you?" Evelyn wondered

"Not for lack of wanting. All it took was mentioning Fr. Murphy and that altar licker changed her tune."

Paulo burst into laughter but Evelyn wasn´t entirely convinced.

"That's all it took?"

"I swear that woman cares more about what the people in church will think of her than anything else."

"Mom, dad, tio! Are you just gonna stand there!?" Soren called out.

"Here´s an idea." Severus told him children. "Uncle Paulo has a camera, and we still have daylight for a while. Why don´t we take some photos in the ruins of the old cemetery?"

With everyone enthusiastically agreeing, so Evelyn was persuaded to let the topic of Catherine Blake go for a while.

For now they had Soren´s birthday to celebrate, and an impromptu gothic-themed photoshoot to finish before the night fell. Anything else could wait.

[nextleveldriving]

Learn to Drive in Dublin: The Roadmap to Becoming a Confident Driver

Understanding the Basics of Driving in Dublin

Driving in a bustling city like Dublin can be both exciting and challenging. To become a confident driver in Dublin, it is essential to start with a strong foundation. In this article, we will guide you through the process of learning to drive in Dublin, covering everything from legal requirements and documentation to mastering vehicle operations and safety.

A. Getting Started: Preparing for Your Driving Journey

1. Understanding the Legal Requirements for Driving in Dublin

Before starting your driving journey in Dublin, it is vital to understand the legal requirements. In Ireland, a valid learner's permit is necessary to learn to drive on public roads. The permit can be obtained from the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS). Additionally, you must have valid car insurance and be a minimum of 17 years old to legally drive in Dublin.

2. Gathering the Necessary Documentation and Permits

To obtain a learner's permit, you will need to provide certain documents such as proof of identity (e.g., passport or Irish birth certificate), proof of address, a completed application form, and a fee payment. It is crucial to gather all the required documents beforehand to ensure a smooth application process.

3. Choosing the Right Vehicle to Learn and Practice With

Selecting the right vehicle is essential while learning to drive in Dublin. Opt for a car that is easy to handle and has excellent visibility. Consider factors such as fuel efficiency, safety features, and maneuverability. If you are learning with a driving school, they might provide the vehicle for your lessons.

B. Navigating Dublin's Road Infrastructure

1. Familiarizing Yourself with Dublin's Road Network

Getting acquainted with Dublin's road network is vital to build confidence as a driver. Take the time to study the city's major roads, highways, and key interchanges. Familiarize yourself with commonly used routes, such as those leading to popular landmarks or busy city center areas.

Callout: Dublin's road network is constantly evolving, so it's crucial to stay updated with any road changes or diversions that may affect your route.

2. Understanding Traffic Rules and Regulations in the City

To navigate Dublin's roads safely, it is essential to understand the traffic rules and regulations. Observe speed limits, traffic signals, and lane markings while driving in the city. Keep in mind that there are specific rules regarding bus lanes, pedestrian crossings, and cyclist priority areas.

3. Identifying Common Road Signs and Markings in Dublin

Road signs and markings play a crucial role in guiding drivers on Dublin's roads. Take the time to familiarize yourself with common road signs, such as speed limits, no entry signs, and roundabout rules. Understand the meanings of various road markings, including pedestrian crossings, bus lanes, and parking restrictions.

Tip: Consider creating flashcards or using online resources to help you memorize and understand the different road signs and markings in Dublin.

C. Mastering Vehicle Operations and Safety

1. Getting to Know Your Vehicle's Controls and Instruments

Before hitting the road, take the time to familiarize yourself with your vehicle's controls and instruments. Understand functions such as the accelerator, brake, clutch, gears, and steering. Practice adjusting mirrors, using turn signals, and operating lights, as these are essential for safe driving.

2. Developing Essential Driving Skills: Acceleration, Braking, and Steering

Mastering essential driving skills is crucial to becoming a confident driver in Dublin. Practice smooth acceleration, gentle braking, and precise steering. Pay attention to clutch control, gear shifting, and maintaining a steady speed, especially during stops and turns.

3. Emphasizing the Importance of Defensive Driving and Road Safety

In a busy city like Dublin, defensive driving is a vital skill. Always be aware of your surroundings, anticipate potential hazards, and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Adhere to road safety guidelines, including wearing seatbelts, avoiding distractions, and never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Quote: "Defensive driving is about proactive decision-making to protect yourself and others on the road." - Experienced Driving Instructor

D. Gaining Confidence in Handling Various Driving Conditions

1. Navigating Heavy Traffic and Congested Areas

Learning to navigate heavy traffic and congested areas is crucial for driving in Dublin. Practice patience and maintain a safe following distance. Keep an eye out for pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists, as they may behave unpredictably in congested areas.

2. Driving in Different Weather Conditions: Rain, Fog, and Snow

Dublin's weather can be unpredictable, so it is essential to be prepared for various conditions. Practice driving in rain, fog, and even snow if possible. Learn techniques for maintaining traction, adjusting speed, and ensuring clear visibility during adverse weather.

3. Adapting to Challenging Road Situations: Roundabouts and Busy Intersections

Challenging road situations, such as roundabouts and busy intersections, require confidence and skill. Familiarize yourself with the rules and techniques for navigating roundabouts, yielding to other vehicles, and signaling appropriately. Practice approaching and maneuvering through busy intersections with caution and precision.

E. Practicing Your Skills: Finding the Right Driving School in Dublin

1. Researching and Choosing Reputable Driving Schools

Finding the right driving school is crucial for a comprehensive learning experience. Research different driving schools in Dublin, read reviews, and ask for recommendations. Look for schools with qualified instructors, good track records, and tailored programs to meet your specific needs.

2. Assessing the Programs, Instructors, and Facilities

When selecting a driving school, evaluate their driving programs, the qualifications of their instructors, and the quality of their facilities. Look for schools that offer a good balance of practical lessons, theory classes, and mock tests. Ensure that the instructors are patient, experienced, and knowledgeable.

3. Making the Most of Your Driving Lessons and Mock Tests

Make the most of your driving lessons and mock tests to sharpen your skills. Pay attention to your instructor's guidance, ask questions, and actively participate in each session. Treat mock tests like the real driving test to familiarize yourself with the test format and identify areas that require improvement.

Tip: Consider practicing outside of your lessons to reinforce what you've learned. Practice with a licensed driver in a variety of scenarios, such as different traffic conditions and road types.

Conclusion:

Mastering the art of driving in Dublin involves a combination of understanding legal requirements, navigating the city's road infrastructure, mastering vehicle operations, and gaining confidence in handling diverse driving conditions. By following a structured approach, aspiring drivers can build the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate Dublin's bustling streets safely.

As you embark on your driving journey in Dublin, remember that continuous learning and adaptation are key. Stay informed about changes in the road network, traffic rules, and any updates to driving regulations. Defensive driving, emphasizing safety, and being prepared for various road situations contribute to becoming a confident and responsible driver.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the legal age to drive in Dublin?

The minimum legal age to drive in Dublin is 17 years old. However, it's important to obtain a valid learner's permit from the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) before learning to drive on public roads.

What documents are required to obtain a learner's permit?

To obtain a learner's permit, you typically need proof of identity (e.g., passport or Irish birth certificate), proof of address, a completed application form, and payment of the required fee.

How can I familiarize myself with Dublin's road network?

Familiarize yourself with Dublin's road network by studying major roads, highways, and key interchanges. Stay updated on any road changes or diversions that may affect your route, as Dublin's road network is constantly evolving.

What are the essential driving skills to master in Dublin?

Essential driving skills in Dublin include smooth acceleration, gentle braking, precise steering, clutch control, gear shifting, and maintaining a safe speed. Defensive driving skills, such as anticipating hazards and following road safety guidelines, are also crucial.

How do I choose the right driving school in Dublin?

When selecting a driving school, research reputable options, read reviews, and ask for recommendations. Evaluate driving programs, instructor qualifications, and facilities. Look for schools that offer a balanced mix of practical lessons, theory classes, and mock tests.

What should I do to practice driving skills outside of lessons?

Reinforce what you've learned by practicing with a licensed driver in various scenarios, such as different traffic conditions and road types. Treat mock tests seriously to familiarize yourself with the test format and identify areas for improvement.

Remember that becoming a confident driver in Dublin is a gradual process that requires dedication, practice, and a commitment to ongoing learning. Stay patient, be proactive in your learning journey, and prioritize safety on the road.

[martife]

SO. I need to share this with someone, somewhere and what better place than here?

I was flying back to UK today, London. I am flying? Idk. At my departure airport one of the stewards assured us there are no delays, all good. Sweet. We boarded the plane with already 20min delay. Okay. Happens. But, we departed with over 1h delay. Okay.. still happens.

Now just a bit of background. I was supposed to arrive around 8pm, get back to the flat, leave my extra bag, make my way back to the airport with my sister and catch a 8am flight to Dublin as an Xmas gift to ourselves. Plenty of time, all good.

Now, during the flight, I checked my watch and something wasn't adding up. We should've landed by now. I know, becasue I made this particular trip countless times by now. 20min later, we're still in the air with no updates. After 1h extra in thw air, they finally tell us - we are being redirected to Bristol becasue all London airports are closed. You know why? Snow. My sis send me a pic. Its like, maybe 2cm of snow, at best. And ALL. LONDON. AIRPORTS. ARE. CLOSED. We landed. They tell us to wait. After 30min they tell us we can't fly, they'll get a bus for us. 15min later they say that all flights got redirected, airport is busy, we have to wait 30 min for a bus to take us to the terminal.

I am currently still sitting in that plane waiting. Given the conditions, its gonna be 5h drive to get back to London airport we were going to from Bristol. Lucky my paranoid, anxious traveller ass, I have some snacks and drink. And my charger close but right now can't charge shit anyway, my phone is on 44%. NICE. My questions are:

- how long before we can leave the plane? Its kind of hot in here

-how long till the bus to London?

-can I make it to my next flight? Suddenly I don't have much time

-are they gonna make me pay for extra luggage I wasn't meant to have with me? Or is rhe airline gonna be nice and make it free? (I'm guessing the first one)

-are they gonna cancel the flight to Dublin anyway?

What makes it funnier? It's the 2nd time I got screwed over in London due to minimal snow. First time was about 4 years ago. I was stuck on the airport for over 6h with no updated. My flight was the only flight to that country that actually ended up happening. I was not mentally prepared back then (now I'm lowkey laughing tbh) and back then I had like £2 on me left. So yeah. Wish me luck?

I might update this once something happens. Even if noone cares. Gonna make this my personal journal of this shit show trip, because I didn't learn the first lesson and still decided to fly during winter.

Peace ✌

[jenroses]

I flounder at the conundrum we live in right now. I'm 51, and grew up doing EVERYTHING, like my parents were young and I had so many ridiculous lessons and they built a family kayak at home and we went fishing on the regular and then camped across the country for a month. I had girl scouts and piano lessons and we moved when I was a kid to a small bit of acreage where I had a horse and we planted an acre of tomatoes and raised animals and we kept a sourdough starter alive for years.

In my life I have helped start multiple things which thrived for a while and then failed later, after I'd moved on. I've traveled and tried new foods and at one point I knew that almost anywhere I could possibly go I could probably find a friend to crash with because there were that many connections to be made.

And in 2019 we took our 7 year old child to Dublin. He got to try new things and met new people and see places he hadn't seen before.

I used to be the parent whose house was always open--my eldest is 30 and for a long time my house was "Jen's home for wayward queer youth" to quote one such youth, where their friends would come and sometimes stay for a while. The space in my heart wants to say "there is always room for one more."

But I'm immune compromised. And the pandemic. And our lives have narrowed to the point where I can't risk air travel.

And my son has to ask if he can bring a friend over in advance because some days I absolutely cannot cope with the sensory issues of wearing a mask in my house, the logistics of figuring out food around having someone in our space. I can't invite his friend to stay for dinner though in the past I would have in a heartbeat because there was always room for one more...

But yes, everywhere is somewhere and everyone is someone and every car you pass on the road has someone with an entire existence and set of motivations and the plot of their own story and it is sad to me that the more connected we become, the more isolated we get.

My youngest will probably not be able to just spend weeks at a time shuffling between our house and his best friend's house the way I did when I was a kid.

At age 11 I was riding a horse around our neighborhood completely unsupervised. For him at 11 we're waiting for summer for me to maybe, at last, see if I can overcome the executive function barriers (mine) to teach him to ride a bike.

We realized in the shoe store the other day that he'd never actually learned to tie his shoes because he's never had tie shoes. So I taught him, then and there. And then the salesperson brought over little doohickies that slide up and down the laces and negate the need for bows. Which is safer, really, but...

My eldest drives stick. My youngest probably never will. They're 18 years apart in age.

The notes on a recent post got me thinking

By nature, I’m a fan of having 2 beers and meeting strangers at a bar somewhere you’ve never been, which is a thing that we don’t do in 2023 between COVID and being afraid of one another because of the prevalence of gun violence and regular violence and misdirected road rage and the million other little deadly social erosions of the past 10 years or so.

You have got to let go of this idea that any place is a complete nothing-burger full of nothing-people.

You have to.

Its vitally important that you navigate that airport with a stranger in Denver and realize he’s got a tattoo of lyrics from your favorite song. To sing House of the Rising Sun with four people you’ve known for 2 hours (and somehow managed to get into the DNCs private bar with) in the back of an Uber in DC when it’s pissing rain and entirely too cold for your southern blood. It’s important to cooperate and solve problems together and go about it laughing and singing. We are silly little creatures that love a puzzle and a story.

It’s also important to flee a tornado in the back of a shitty red pickup at pride in Oklahoma City and feel the sky break wide-open against the lazy /tick-lok/ /tick-lok/ of the windshield wipers while racing down what once was Rte 66. Its important to know that in the face of creeping fascism that place, of all places, has entire gay neighborhoods. It’s important to wake up in an apartment high, high up in NYC and watch the sun through the buildings and boulevards and watch the glorious great goddamn of that impossible number of people all cooperating and all not. To say Hyoo-stun, that way, on purpose just to get a rise of your born and bred NY friend who does NOT think you’re funny but will make coffee for you.

You need to see a beach full of people cautiously approaching and flinching away from a floating, dead horseshoe crab on Tybee Island, Georgia the way any troupe of wild animals approaches an unknown alien thing. Cows in a field, fish in the ocean flinching from a diver. Little children squealing and wide eyed behind their parents legs. You need to be the person that walks out and picks it up and watches the rest of the crowd creep in to investigate.

I don’t get to travel a lot in the way that most people do, when I go to a place it’s usually because something bad has happened there, but I have found it universally true that most people just want to tell you a story or show you a picture on their phone of the craziest thing they’ve ever seen and they don’t particularly care who you are or what your accent is. Sometimes they do, and those people suck, but those people are not the majority.

Sometimes if you let an old redneck talk he’ll tell you everything you never wanted to know about forensic accounting. Sometimes you’ll meet someone in the middle of the biggest city in the US who knows everything about show pigs. I’ve been to the smallest Kansas towns and the biggest cities in the US and I’ve found none of them were full of nothing.

[xerxeslimitedireland]

The Metaverse in 2024: Evolving Beyond Entertainment

At Xerxes, we are committed to staying at the forefront of digital transformation, and the metaverse presents an unparalleled opportunity to reshape how businesses operate. No longer limited to gaming and entertainment, the metaverse is now a vital platform for innovation across industries like education, healthcare, retail, and corporate training. By collaborating with Xerxes, your brand will enter this cutting-edge space and maximise its commercial potential, driving growth and engagement.

We specialise in web development services, leveraging platforms like Shopify to ensure your business thrives in this immersive digital world.

1. The Metaverse in Business: Beyond Entertainment

The metaverse has evolved into a powerful tool for businesses, offering dynamic environments for collaboration and innovation. Companies are creating virtual workspaces that go far beyond traditional video conferencing. With platforms such as Meta’s Horizon Workrooms, employees can now brainstorm, interact, and engage as if they were physically present.

At Xerxes, our web development and web design services ensure that your virtual workspace is optimised for seamless communication and collaboration. Whether you’re remote team-building or hosting interactive client meetings, we’ll help you create engaging environments that feel real.

Training and Simulation: Industries like healthcare and manufacturing use the metaverse for immersive training programs. Companies are improving their workforce's capabilities by developing simulations that allow hands-on practice in a risk-free virtual setting. Xerxes brings expertise in creating these virtual environments through custom-built websites powered by Dublin software companies.

2. Digital Twins: Real-World Impact in Virtual Spaces

The rise of digital twins is revolutionising sectors like real estate, urban planning, and manufacturing. A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical space that simulates scenarios and makes data-driven decisions. Imagine allowing your clients to walk through a development project virtually, making real-time changes before breaking ground.

Retail businesses also use digital twins to create virtual stores where customers can experience products, interact with them, and make informed purchasing decisions. Xerxes, a leader in website building sites, can design these immersive environments and commercialise them through Shopify, seamlessly integrating real-time transactions.

Retail Innovation: With web development services at the heart of the process, retailers can offer virtual shopping experiences that allow customers to "try on" products, explore custom options, and easily make purchases. Xerxes’ expertise ensures your brand’s virtual retail space is engaging and commercially successful.

3. Education Reimagined: Learning in the Metaverse

Education is undergoing a revolution in the metaverse. Virtual campuses offer students more interactive and engaging experiences than traditional online learning. Subjects that require practical, hands-on learning—like biology or engineering—are now taught in fully immersive environments.

At Xerxes, we collaborate with educational institutions to build virtual learning platforms that deliver lessons and foster creativity and innovation. Our website developers in Ireland specialise in creating virtual classrooms that allow for meaningful student interactions and deeper engagement.

4. Social Interaction and Events in the Metaverse

The metaverse is transforming social interaction. Millions now attend virtual concerts, fashion shows, and conferences, offering immersive experiences that traditional social platforms can’t match. With haptic technology and advanced avatars, the lines between digital and physical worlds are blurring.

At Xerxes, we help businesses harness this new frontier. Whether you're hosting a product launch, corporate event, or concert, we provide the web design and development services needed to create unforgettable virtual experiences. Imagine hosting your next event in a fully interactive 3D space where attendees can engage with your brand in new and exciting ways.

5. Addressing Challenges: Privacy, Accessibility, and Ethics

While the metaverse offers limitless possibilities, it also brings challenges. Data privacy remains critical, especially as more personal information is exchanged in virtual environments. Ensuring secure and ethical interactions is essential.

Xerxes prioritises data protection and ethical design. Our web development company ensures that all platforms we build comply with the latest privacy regulations and offer robust security features to protect user data. We also focus on accessibility, providing the metaverse is open and inclusive.

6. Looking Ahead: The Future of the Metaverse and Xerxes’ Role

The metaverse is still in its early stages but has boundless potential. As AR and VR technologies evolve, businesses capitalising on these virtual spaces will gain a distinct competitive edge. By choosing Xerxes, you are partnering with a team of experts in web development services, web design, and commercialisation through Shopify, ensuring that your brand enters this digital frontier and thrives within it.

Join hands with Xerxes, and together, we’ll turn the metaverse into a powerful tool for your business. Our team’s experience in website building sites and Dublin software companies guarantees that every dollar you invest will yield maximum returns. Let us help you shape your business's future in this exciting new era.

Conclusion: Unlock Your Potential with Xerxes

The metaverse reshapes how we work, learn, shop, and socialise. By partnering with Xerxes, you can ensure that your business harnesses the full power of this digital revolution. Our expertise in web development services, paired with advanced platforms like Shopify, ensures your brand is positioned for success in 2024 and beyond.

Take the next step with us—your future in the metaverse starts here.

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Driving Lessons in Newcastle Dublin

A prudent approach is to select a driving school ready to teach you from basics to advanced techniques. Develop a sense of responsibility by taking Driving Lessons in Dunshaughlin. In this write-up, we will outline the leading benefits of taking driving lessons from a qualified instructor.

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