The last weekend of August 2025 brought a whirlwind of LEGO adventures, weaving through Wicklow and Dublin with stops in Bray, Greystones, Arklow, Stillorgan, and Hollystown. It was a true “Wicklow Trio of Hauls” with two Dublin detours, and each stop added to the growing Redmond’s Forge collection. What began as a simple plan to pick up one or two sets turned into three days of family adventures, boxes of bulk LEGO, and the unmistakable excitement that only a LEGO haul can bring.
And perhaps the greatest joy wasn’t just the bricks themselves, but the happiness now etched into every drive down the M11 toward Arklow. The motorway has become more than a route south—it’s a road lined with memories, excitement, and anticipation of what lies ahead for the Forge.
Wicklow One: Bray
The first stop came in Bray, on a bright afternoon. We had arranged to collect a small bundle, four sets, all Ninjago and Marvel themed. For just €30, the collection was waiting:
- 70638 LEGO Ninjago – Katana V11
- 71702 LEGO Ninjago – Golden Mech
- 71705 LEGO Ninjago – Destiny’s Bounty
- 76124 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes – War Machine Buster
There’s something incredibly special about picking up ships, mechs, and vehicles. The Destiny’s Bounty has such an iconic shape that it can be instantly recognised at a glance. For fans of Ninjago, it’s a centrepiece, whether fully loaded with mini-figures or not.
The best part of this Bray pickup was the sense of discovery: piecing together sets that need a little love. It’s the collector’s puzzle, figuring out what’s missing, what can be replaced, and how to breathe life back into a partially forgotten set. Bray was a perfect warm-up, small in size, but brimming with potential.
Wicklow Two: Greystones
The for part two of our trip further along the coast to Greystones, where we had arranged a delightful bundle of LEGO. For €40, it turned out to be one of those golden finds, a mixture of complete sets, “to be verified” sets, and a storage box of bricks that promised hours of discovery.
Included in the confirmed lineup were:
- 21172 LEGO Minecraft – The Ruined Portal, the set, the instructions, but no box
- 42167 LEGO Technic – Mack LR Electric Garbage Truck, the set, the instructions, and the box
- 60249 LEGO City – Street Sweeper, the set, the instructions, but no box
- 76896 LEGO Speed Champions – Nissan GT-R NISMO, the set, the instructions, and the box
- 76924 LEGO Speed Champions – Mercedes-AMG G 63 & SL 63, the set, the instructions, and the box
This haul stood out for a few reasons. First, the completeness, the Minecraft set came with its instructions, the Technic Mack LR Electrice Garbage Truck felt nearly new with its box, and the Speed Champions pairs were pristine examples of why that theme has become so popular in the Forge.
Second, the mixture of themes captured exactly what makes LEGO so diverse: Minecraft with its pixelated worlds, Technic with its engineering detail, City with everyday charm, and Speed Champions with racing excitement. It was like a miniature LEGO Museum haul in one box.
Driving away from Greystones, the boot of the car filled with neatly packed sets, it was impossible not to feel the surge of happiness that comes with knowing these will soon be built, displayed, and enjoyed.
Wicklow Three: Arklow
To complete the trio of Wicklow hauls we needed to head to Arklow. In Arklow, a supplier had prepared a box full of LEGO for just €35. The only condition: it needed a thorough wash and part-out.
For many collectors, that’s a chore. For us, it’s a ritual. There’s something incredibly satisfying about tipping out a dusty box of bricks, giving them a proper clean, and then beginning the slow process of sorting them into colour, type, and set. Each piece holds the potential to connect to something larger, and each discovery brings a spark of joy.
And so, Arklow wasn’t just another pickup, it was a reminder of the process, the craft, the love of LEGO in its rawest form.
More than that, though, Arklow is becoming home ground. Every time the car hits the M11 southbound and the signs for Arklow appear, there’s a swell of excitement. It’s no longer just a drive; it’s an adventure waiting to happen. Each journey down that stretch of motorway carries memories of hauls, collections, and the building of something bigger at Redmond’s Forge.
Dublin One: Stillorgan
The adventure didn’t end in Arklow, back in Dublin, Stillorgan was the next stop, where an absolute monster of a haul was waiting: 35 kilograms of LEGO sets in cluding Friends for just €200.
There’s no denying the value here, LEGO Friends sets are colourful, detailed, and packed with unique parts that fuel creativity. Bulk lots of this size are the kind of backbone material that can be transformed into MOCs, displays, or carefully parted out for the Forge’s growing inventory.
Lifting that many kilos of LEGO into the car is no small feat, but the reward is obvious: endless building possibilities.
Dublin Two: Hollystown
The final stop of the whirlwind weekend came in Hollystown, where we were handed over a small but mighty gem:
- 70321 LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS – General Magmar’s Siege Machine of Doom (set, instructions, no box)
At just €30, this pickup was the cherry on top of a three-day run. The Nexo Knights theme, while no longer on shelves, has a cult following for its wild colour palette and imaginative vehicles. Adding one of its larger sets to the Forge collection, complete with instructions and all of the mini-figures, is a win by any measure.
The Happiness of the M11
If there’s a single thread running through this trio of Wicklow hauls and two Dublin extras, it’s the joy tied to the journey itself. Driving the M11 to Arklow no longer feels like a routine motorway trip, it’s an adventure, filled with anticipation.
Each signpost is now a marker of memory: Bray with its incomplete but promising sets, Greystones with its treasure trove of complete builds, Arklow with its box of bricks waiting for renewal. And then, looping back to Dublin, Stillorgan’s giant haul and Hollystown’s Nexo Knights finale.
The Forge isn’t just about collecting LEGO, it’s about the story of each brick, the memory of each trip, and the happiness that comes every time the road leads south toward Arklow.
Final Thoughts
From Bray to Greystones, from Arklow to Stillorgan and Hollystown, this was a weekend of building memories as much as it was building collections. For less than the price of a single large LEGO Icons set at retail, the Forge added bulk, Speed Champions, Technic, City, Friends, Minecraft, Marvel, Ninjago, and Nexo Knights to its growing collection.
And now, each drive on the M11 feels different, charged with the same excitement as opening a sealed box of LEGO. Because that’s what Redmond’s Forge is all about: not just the bricks, but the joy, the memories, and the adventure of collecting.