Brick.ie The Irish Association for Adult Fans of LEGO®

Anyone who has browsed the pictures in the image galleries on this site may well be inspired by the many models on show from our members. Given the size of the displays, what you mightn't realise is that a tiny proportion of our members actually produce these large displays which get a fantastic public reaction and ensure our continued participation in the Lugbulk program.

We are always on the lookout for new builders willing to participate in our displays.

We realise that displaying your own creations for the first time can be intimidating, especially for those with access to less parts than some of us, However, every little helps in these large displays. For example, a simple gree baseplate with animals, crops, trees etc. can look great as transitional zones between different 'lands' in the layout.

All of us started out building our own stuff with something small. Without a huge number of parts, its still possible to build vehicles, small buildings or structures that you find interesting without getting that third mortgage on the house. You'd be surprised at the reaction that you can get from recreating something small if its well done and recreating anything recognisable is especially popular. Who'll make the first Garda car or Dublin clamper van? One of our exhibitors started with a little An Post van!

For those of you that aren't familiar with bricklink.com, there is always that option for those rarer colours or extra bricks. If you need advice/ help you can always post interim pictures and seek feedback/ideas (we don't bite) or you can bring your wip to one of our monthly meetings.

You may get the impression that we primarily display city buildings, vehicles, trains and related structures etc. Because we participate in model railway shows and because people often start out with city buildings this is natural. However, we've also displayed castles, medieval lands, pirate ships and mosaics recently. With proper planning we can blend nearly any type of 'land' into a display (I'm still waiting for the day someone tells me they want to include a Star Wars diaroma). We even managed a Technic tractor display in Kildare earlier this year.

Really you can build whatever takes your fancy. If you're stuck for ideas, look around you. The hard work may already be done. That nice looking building or interesting vehicle you see every day may have lots of pictures online (including googlle streetview). Online photos form the basis for most of our more detailed models. There's no need to be living in Dublin to have a crack at the GPO. Also, there are now more books written by LEGO fans than ever before, all packed full of LEGO ideas for inspiration.

Sometimes people only display in the virtual world or use a digital program such as Lego Digital Designer (LDD). That's a great start where people can build up confidence. In addition to our image gallery, its possible to post links to pictures held elsewhere on sites such as Flickr or Brickshelf and get advice from people with the same interest in LEGO as a hobby as you.

With the new year not that far away, maybe its time to take the next step away from not just building with the kids and to seek the personal satisfaction that comes from creating and displaying your very own creation no matter how small the may initially appear to be. We're here to help you place that first brick.

The brick.ie team