Some LEGO hauls are simple.
A quick message, a short drive, a bag of bricks, home in time for tea.
But every so often, the LEGO gods conspire to turn a normal Saturday into a cross-country odyssey, a road-trip of chance encounters, moonlit highways, and the kind of deals that make collectors drop everything and drive.
This was one of those days.
The Plan: Just Nenagh. Nothing Complicated.
The day began innocently enough.
Luke and Rose had Dolphin swimming in Blackrock until 4pm, which meant there was just enough time to hit the road afterward and be in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, province of Munster, for a tidy little pickup.
The mission? Two new LEGO One Piece sets for €40, one brand new in box, the other complete with pieces and instructions but no box. A quick, neat, one-stop haul.
We’d be home by 8pm, maybe a Happy Meal on the way.
Easy. Predictable. Peaceful.
But LEGO has a funny way of rewriting your plans.
Plot Twist #1 – Connacht Calling
While waiting poolside, I did what any collector does when left unsupervised with a phone: opened Facebook Marketplace.
There it was, a shed-load of LEGO, located just outside Athlone, on the Roscommon side, meaning a run into Connacht territory.
The photos were chaos in the best way: instruction manuals, Technic beams, Star Wars minifigs peeking through. I could make it by 7:45pm, if everything stayed perfectly timed.
Except it didn’t. Because the next message changed everything.
Plot Twist #2 – The Ratoath LEGO Heads
A new listing appeared: two giant yellow LEGO head storage boxes, both filled with LEGO, plus an official LEGO crate packed to the brim.
Location? Ratoath, Co. Meath, in Leinster.
The price was right, the timing was tight, and the deal was still open. I messaged instantly, and the seller replied: “Yes, still available, but I’ll need you here soon.”
Suddenly the plan turned into a three-province marathon.
Revised route:
- 4:00pm – Swimming done in Blackrock
- 5:00pm – Ratoath (Leinster) pickup
- 7:00pm – Nenagh (Munster) pickup
- 8:20pm – Athlone (Connacht) pickup
- 10:00pm – Home… in theory.
Ratoath, Co. Meath – The First Stop
When we pulled into Ratoath, you could feel the difference immediately, horse country, wide driveways, Fairyhouse Racecourse rising in the distance.
I rang the seller, who came out from the back to greet us.
She smiled and asked, “Do you collect LEGO?”
Do we ever.
Then came the twist: she had another 25 kilograms of classic and vintage LEGO upstairs in a giant clear bin bag, and she was happy to let it go for €10 per kilo.
As luck (and experience) would have it, I had extra cash in the car.
Fifteen minutes later, the boot was overflowing and the adventure had barely begun.
Nenagh, Co. Tipperary – The Park Bench Exchange
The drive to Nenagh passed almost too smoothly. The kids were happy, the car was heavy, and I couldn’t help laughing at how this “small pickup” day had already gone off the rails.
The actual handover in Nenagh? Picture something out of a spy film.
A park bench outside the local Garda station on the square.
A plastic bag full of LEGO.
Money discreetly exchanged.
No questions asked.
Mission two complete.
Across the Shannon – Into Connacht
From Nenagh, we took the scenic route toward Athlone, crossing the mighty River Shannon at Portumna, a stretch that never fails to impress.
The moon was up, the sun was setting, and the reflections on the water painted the bridges gold. There’s a point where it almost feels like there are three Shannons, winding and splitting around the marinas and waterways.
It’s one of those drives that reminds you how beautiful Ireland is, even when your boot is creaking under the weight of 25kg of vintage LEGO.
Passing through Ballinasloe triggered a nostalgic flashback, it was the town where I first had Supermac’s, back on a school football trip in 1992. And like the LEGO hobby, Supermac’s has only grown a lot bigger than 1 shop in Ballinasloe to over 100 around Ireland now.
Athlone, Co. Roscommon – The Final Pickup
By the time we reached Athlone, night had settled in.
We pulled up to the house, greeted by a seller with two full crates of LEGO waiting by the door. One fit snugly in the remaining boot space. The other, my passenger for the drive home, took pride of place in the front seat.
Mission three complete.
Dinner, Fuel, and Familiar Roads
Before hitting the motorway, we made one final stop at the Motorway Services outside Athlone, the one with Camile Thai and McDonald’s, where we’d been before on the Epic Galway Rain Flooded Trip.
Fuel for the car, restrooms for everyone, and Happy Meals for Luke and Rose, who by now were in full road-trip mode.
We decided to eat in the car, watching the motorway lights flash by as the kids drifted off, nuggets in hand.
We rolled into the driveway at 10:05pm, home safe, boot bursting with LEGO, and two very sleepy kids in the back.
The Forge Awaits
While we were traversing three provinces, Jill was busy at home, tackling the toys in the sitting room and playroom, sorting through piles, and preparing the LEGO to move out of the house and into the Forge.
So as we unloaded crate after crate that night, it felt symbolic, one era of chaos giving way to the next stage of Redmond’s Forge.
Reflections
What began as a quiet plan to pick up a couple of small sets became a nationwide LEGO chase, from horse country in Leinster, to late-night handoffs in Munster, to riverside moonlight drives through Connacht.
Three provinces.
One day.
Dozens of memories.
Hundreds of minifigs waiting to be sorted.
At Redmond’s Forge, that’s what we call a Saturday Haul of Madness.
Because sometimes, the best LEGO adventures aren’t built, they’re driven.
