Ireland's first brand store opens today

I'm surprised that in my area, poor and uninteresting, there are 2 Lego stores since years while in Ireland just now they are opening one.

That lighthouse build looks amazing!

Ahhh I forgot it was opening today! - instead my brother-in-law and nephew are coming round here to play with lego. If I had remembered we could have taken a trip down to Dublin.

@legoposi
I'm also surprised it's taken so long to come to this island but like @FreewheelBricks I'm really hoping one opens in Belfast.

I got here at 9:30 this morning and I was told the earliest I'd get in was 3:00. The crowd is great.

@Poppy2612 said:
"I was also lucky enough to attend the pre launch event yesterday. Everybody got a big cheer from the staff on entering - my kids got a great laugh out of that! They really enjoyed the custom minifig machine and my youngest had great craic scrawling 'UR MOM' on the front of his. Was a long wait to get one in Ireland but glad to finally have it here :)"

I have to ask - how did you manage to get to the pre-launch, literally saw nothing in the media about something like that - I know specific press outlets were invited yesterday

I was in there too yesterday. Our LUG got some invites so thanks to Dfenz for that as well.
It was great to get in there and have more time than 30 minutes people will have today.

I need to get a go on the minifigure factory. Spent far too long trawling through the build a minifig stuff. Pity there were only 3 types of legs though.

Do Lego still do a custom minifigures pack when they open a new store?

@padraic said:
"Do Lego still do a custom minifigures pack when they open a new store?"

They didn't have any pre-made BAM packs last night anyway.

As an octopus lover I'm absolutely enamored with that octopus and lighthouse mural!

@legoposi said:
"I'm surprised that in my area, poor and uninteresting, there are 2 Lego stores since years while in Ireland just now they are opening one."

To my knowledge, we in Italy have 12 Lego CERTIFIED stores, but no OFFICIAL Lego store yet, not even one, thus confirming your assumption that our area is not interesting enough for TLG to envision an official opening yet. But I'm very happy for our Dubliner and Irish friends.

That model of Lansdowne Road looks good.

@Poppy2612 said:
"I was also lucky enough to attend the pre launch event yesterday. Everybody got a big cheer from the staff on entering - my kids got a great laugh out of that! They really enjoyed the custom minifig machine and my youngest had great craic scrawling 'UR MOM' on the front of his. Was a long wait to get one in Ireland but glad to finally have it here :)"

I always love the contrast between Lego's idealised picture of what kids are like and what kids are actually like XD

@Mattw2 said:
"That model of Lansdowne Road looks good. "

That's built by Dfenz who also provided the photos to Huw.

I will always say that Branson Missouri needs a LEGO store!

@sideswinger said:
"I will always say that Branson Missouri needs a LEGO store!"

I would love to see a LEGO store mural of Yakov Smirnoff!! In Soviet Russia, bricks build you!

@dingbat591 said:
" @legoposi said:
"I'm surprised that in my area, poor and uninteresting, there are 2 Lego stores since years while in Ireland just now they are opening one."

To my knowledge, we in Italy have 12 Lego CERTIFIED stores, but no OFFICIAL Lego store yet, not even one, thus confirming your assumption that our area is not interesting enough for TLG to envision an official opening yet. But I'm very happy for our Dubliner and Irish friends. "

Didn't know about that, to be honest I never investigated much.
I was talking about my area, Naples, not the entire country in fact I'm surprised to see there are not official stores in Rome or Milan.

@bekuehn said:
" @sideswinger said:
"I will always say that Branson Missouri needs a LEGO store!"

I would love to see a LEGO store mural of Yakov Smirnoff!! In Soviet Russia, bricks build you!"

Yes that would be brilliant! If LEGO put a store in the Branson Landing it would be a smash hit!

I really do not enjoy the new white interior of the newly opening stores. Yellow is the way.

I’m excited and delight to finally have brand store in Ireland, was there for the official opening and it was quite emotional but very well done. There’s a wristband system in place until next week, which is causing disappointment to some who have come from all over Ireland to visit but it’s for crowd management purposes and safety, perhaps plan a visit from next week on when things have settled down. I have never seen so many yellow bags around Dublin City as I did today, but it was a pleasant sight to see and created a lot of chat in the area, the shops and bars around Grafton street. Will be a regular visitor for sure.. and FINALLY Got my hands on the Delorean!!!

Visited today, great experience! So happy after years of back and forth to the UK trying to get to a store! Wallet not so happy though…

I was there pre opening,and the uk staff were really great at their jobs, hopefully it'll rub off on the noticeably quieter Irish staff, it's not cheap but it was a great day, I didn't find anything to make GWP range and may not be back till Christmas but I'll be looking forward to it and I guess as a brand store they're not going to be able to sell cheap so I'll take a hit next time for my first ever GWP

@VaultDweller_197 said:
"That lighthouse build looks amazing! "

It really does! Quite impressive

@De5p said:
"I got here at 9:30 this morning and I was told the earliest I'd get in was 3:00. The crowd is great. "

We were 9:35 and had to wail till 4! But worth the wait, has been a long time coming.

Can't wait to get back to Ireland. Beautiful country!

Got to Dublin at 02:30 and were the third group in the queue - there was a guy and his son (there since 10pm) and another two guys, one with their son. (Although we weren't allowed queue outside the store - we had to loiter across at the other side of Grafton street from it.)

My two boys decided to come with me and sat in the chairs we brought and watched stuff on their ipads while I chatted with the guys who were there before us. Thankfully the rain didn't come and we were entertained by the occasional inebriated person stumbling down the road trying to maintain a straight line.

The crowds did start to gather the closer it got to opening time and there was a good buzz going by the time the doors opened. When it was time to go in we were escorted across the street by security to a cheering crowd and applauding store staff.

First thing I picked up was the Sanctum Sanctorum, Obi-Wan and Vader Brickheadz the New York and London Postcard sets. My sons picked out the Sonic Ideas set and the Cat & mouse Halloween set and another Obi-wan & Vader Brickheadz, Bonsai tree and TIE Fighter. I went back to the registers multiple times as there was just too much to pick up. I still haven't worked out what I spent (thankfully I had a few hundred euros of VIP points that eased the damage! Ended up getting the Boutique Hotel, Spice girls Brickheadz, Lego Store, Galaxy Explorer and Cat & Mouse Halloween set for me. I forgot to get the Disney mini Haunted House!

All in all it was a great experience apart from the time limit on the visit so we never got to do minifig factory or the Build a minifig. On leaving we got our Lego Passports stamped and got printed tiles for the opening of the store. Both the kids had a blast and this big kid had a blast too - especially seeing as I've been waiting years for a store to open here!

Looking forward to the next visit!

Why does it say I'm in the US?

Nope - no VPN being used at all. Recently changed to Sky broadband though...

I'm very happy for those in Ireland who have wanted a store for so long! When a new store opens up near you (or semi near you) it is very exciting.

Reading the post by @dmcmonagle and how he or she mentioned it was emotional for him/her sums it up pretty well.

For many of us, we are not only vested in this hobby with our money and time but also our emotions.

Being able to visit a LEGO Store nearby is something I never take for granted as I know there are many fans who do not have this option.

I really hope that for those who live nearby that the store is everything you'd want and more.

Those are some great sculptures! Enjoy your new store.