What's the news?
The Nissan Driving School will open at Tayto Park, near Ashbourne in County Meath this month. But it's not for you. Instead, the 1,000m2 facility, part of the crisp-based adventure and theme park, is for kids, and is designed to be a fun and enjoyable way to get budding young drivers off on the right foot when it comes to car control, and on-road safety.
Kids will have the chance to learn the rules of the road, and to put their driving skills to the test in a fleet of miniaturised, battery-powered Nissans, before going home with their own drivers' licence (warning; licence not acceptable for actual, real, on-road driving).
There's a short video introduction, before the tiny Stirling Mosses can take to the track, up to 20 at a time, and see if they've got what it takes. Presumably smelling salts and stiff brandies will be on hand for parents who need them... It's part of a three-year deal for Nissan, as it becomes one of the corporate sponsors of Tayto Park.
Speaking at the launch, Founder of Tayto Park, Raymond Coyle said: "Here at Tayto Park we're always looking for innovative and creative ways to enhance the experience for families at our theme park and zoo. The Nissan Driving School at Tayto Park will be the first of its kind in Ireland of which I'm sure will be very popular among our younger visitors this season. I'm delighted to welcome Nissan to Tayto Park as this marks a milestone as the first sponsored attraction at the park."
CEO of Nissan Ireland, James McCarthy said: "Innovation and excitement for everyone is at the heart of what we do at Nissan. We are delighted to bring that thinking to our sponsorship of the new Nissan Driving School at Tayto Park. The thousands of children who will enjoy this new family attraction are the EV drivers of tomorrow. This innovative partnership with Tayto Park provides an exciting opportunity for Nissan to continue pioneering the switch to Electric Vehicle driving. We look forward to demonstrating the full range of Nissan vehicles, including the new Nissan Leaf, as part of the new family attraction and to joining Tayto Park in providing children with a fun and memorable experience of what it is like to drive their own car."