After epic trips around Leinster and the memorable Ulster run, it was only fitting that Friday afternoon and night ended up with a Connaught adventure. This time, the roads led us west – with pickups in Westmeath and Roscommon, a car full of LEGO, and plenty of stories from the journey.
Arklow – Where It All Began
The haul journey started off much closer to home with a DM from a second-time supplier in Arklow (our new base in the east). They had another big box of LEGO at a fantastic price – the perfect way to start the trip before pointing the car westward.
Ballyote, Westmeath – A Church on the Laneway
The next scheduled stop was a box of toys (including LEGO) in Ballyote, Westmeath. What made this pickup memorable was the laneway leading up to the seller’s home – complete with its very own church. There’s something surreal about loading up LEGO in a driveway while a little chapel looks on!
Mullingar – A Timely DM
On the road toward Ballyote, a DM pinged in response to a Facebook post. A quick diversion brought me into Mullingar for another pickup. It’s always a thrill when chance messages line up with travel plans – the car already starting to fill nicely.
Athlone – The LinkedIn Wildcard
Heading further west, another message came through – this time from LinkedIn. A hastily arranged meeting in Athlone turned into yet another collection. By now, the boot was filling up rapidly and my cash supply was definitely shrinking.
Four Roads, Roscommon – A Town of Four Roads (Literally)
Then came the wonderfully named town of Four Roads in Roscommon. And no, this isn’t just me meeting a seller at an intersection – the actual town is called Four Roads. It must have been a long night in the Irish town-naming department: “What do we call this place?” – “Well, four roads meet here.” – “Perfect. Done.”
But the real adventure wasn’t the name. It was pa ying for the haul. The seller didn’t take Revolut, and the three ATMs on the way were out of service. Add in a big GAA match in nearby Ballyforan (Naomh Aodàinthat had the whole area buzzing, and it turned into a quest just to find cash. Finally, after a 12 km detour to Athleague’s Centra ATM (an extra 35-minute round trip), I had the notes in hand.
And it was absolutely worth it – a massive blue packing crate of LEGO, plus a stack of LEGO City Coastguard sets, perfect for our expanding LEGO City build.
Boyle via Tulsk – Closing the Loop
From Four Roads, it was onward through Tulsk and up to Boyle for the final pickup of the night. By this point, the car was completely jammed with LEGO – to the point where Luke and Rose had to swap seats between the front and back to make space for everything.
The Wedding Day Flashback – Wren Boys in Roscommon
There was a memory that ribbons through all this LEGO chaos, warm and vivid: a friend’s wedding in Roscommon about 25 years ago. The church was old, the fields green, and in the evening, out of nowhere, a troupe of Wren Boys burst into the celebration.
So, what do Wren Boys actually do, especially at weddings in Roscommon?
Rooted in the Irish tradition of Wren Day (St. Stephen’s Day), Wren Boys (sometimes called mummers) would dress in old clothes, often with straw, masks, face paint or tinsel, and travel from house, or in our case, a wedding celebration, singing, dancing, playing bodhráns, fiddles, accordions, tin whistles, and raising a merry racket for donations to “bury the wren” (a playful refrain).
In Roscommon that evening, they didn’t hunt an actual wren, but performed that familiar Wren Boys routine: parading in, singing Wren songs, dancing around, collecting cheers (and maybe a pint), and bringing an unexpectedly joyous splash of tradition and mischief to the wedding. It was one of those moments that stays with you, folklore meeting celebration, memory and laughter mingling.
Home Again
The drive home only took 1 hour 45 minutes, but the pickups themselves had stretched to nearly 3 hours on the winding roads of Roscommon and Westmeath. Still, it was more than worth it – an unforgettable Connaught LEGO haul adventure to round out the week’s travels across Ireland.
Another province covered, another set of memories made, and a carload of bricks ready for sorting, cleaning, and building. When will there be a Munster trip?
