Poker nights have always been a tradition in my life. Back in our late teens, it was almost nightly – cheap buy-ins, late hours, plenty of banter, and the occasional miracle river card. These days, life is busier and we only manage it about once a quarter. But last Friday night wasn’t just poker. It was LEGO.
One of the lads has just bought a mobile home down in Curracloe, Wexford, and invited me, my brother, my cousin, and another friend for an evening of cards. Five of us together, food, laughs, and the usual long poker grind until the early hours. But with Redmond’s Forge now in full swing, I managed to turn the road trip into something much bigger – a four-stop LEGO haul adventure on the way to the coast.
Stop 1: Arklow – The Warehouse Warm-Up
The evening started with a quick pickup in Arklow, right near the new warehouse for Redmond’s Forge. Two big boxes and several bags of unsorted LEGO, plus the LEGO Ideas Adidas Originals Trainers set, all for €140. Not bad at all. A perfect haul to kick things off, and one that ties back nicely to where Redmond’s Forge is beginning its story.
Stop 2: Enniscorthy – A Mansion, a Pitch, and Ninjago Gold
Then it was back down to Enniscorthy (for the third time in just eight days). This wasn’t just any pickup, the house came with a GAA pitch and a basketball court out the back. A sprawling mansion. The LEGO wasn’t bad either: 8 retired LEGO Ninjago sets for €180. During the poker game later that night, my cousin and I half-struck a deal where I’d sell him two of the sets for €90… but knowing me, I’ll probably just give them to him for his son.
Stop 3: Clonard – Friends in a Box
The next stop was Clonard in Wexford town, just a short hop from the mobile home resort. A single massive box of LEGO for €50, which, judging from the instruction booklets, should rebuild into 17 different LEGO Friends sets. That’s a project for a quiet weekend, piecing the bricks back into Heartlake City form. But the night wasn’t done yet.
Stop 4: Rathnarogue – Jackpot Instructions
The crown jewel of the night came just outside New Ross in Rathnarogue. The seller couldn’t meet earlier than 7pm, which meant this had to be the final pickup. When I arrived, I was asked if I wanted the instructions too. Of course, I said yes. Best decision of the night.
Inside were 42 booklets – 25 LEGO Friends, 10 LEGO City, and others, which were the instructions for the accompanying six big boxes of LEGO bricks. The price? €150. This isn’t just a haul; it’s a restoration project. With that many sets to rebuild, it’ll take days, maybe even a full week, to convert everything back into displayable LEGO sets. And once done, Heartlake City at Redmond’s Forge will be almost complete.
Poker Night – LEGO in the Boot, Cards on the Table
By the time I pulled into Curracloe, the car was packed to the brim. The boot, the back seat, the passenger seat, and even the floors – all filled with LEGO. Naturally, I had to show the lads before we sat down at the poker table.
Then it was seven straight hours of poker, from 8pm to 3am. Chips clinking, banter flowing, old memories resurfacing. It felt like being 19 again, except this time the side conversation wasn’t about cars or music – it was about LEGO.
The Drive Home – Kilmacanogue Pit Stop
By 3:20am I was on the road home, exhausted but buzzing from both the cards and the LEGO. But at 4:40am, just 15 minutes from home, the body gave in. I pulled over near Kilmacanogue (or “Kill Mechanic” as we always joked – though at that point it was feeling closer to “Kill Myself”), reclined the seat, and slept.
At 6:10am I woke, stretched, and finally rolled into the driveway at 6:25am – just in time for Luke to wake at 6:30. No rest for the wicked. Saturday was going to be another busy LEGO day, with more hauls lined up. But that’s a story for the next post.
Final Thoughts
A poker night with the lads turned into one of the most epic LEGO hauls yet. Four pickups, a boot-load of bricks, hours of cards, and a dawn arrival home. Redmond’s Forge is growing with every haul, and somehow, LEGO has become the newest member of the poker table conversations.
Sometimes you win with a full house. Sometimes you win with a car full of LEGO.
