'We would never part with it. It's simply part of the family'

He acquired it for nothing but for Navan man Darren O'Brien the ‘Sunflower Bus’ is part of the family and no amount of money would force him to part with his beautifully restored classic VW Transporter. JIMMY GEOGHEGAN hit the road to find out more about this van-tastic vehicle and its owner who once turned down golfer Shane Lowry’s request to rent it out.

It happened 18 years ago and was a classic case of love at first sight; the head-over-heels variety - and nothing has happened since to undermine the deep-rooted affection Navan resident Darren O'Brien has for his cherished Volkswagen van. 

VIDEO: See Darren O'Brien's wonderful Sunflower Bus in action

He fondly recalls that initial meeting. "My wife Catherine had relations in England who had this van. I was always a Volkswagen fanatic and they said they said they'd just give it to me.
"Catherine sent me out to Dun Laoghaire to meet them because they didn't know where they were going and I saw them rolling in off the boat driving this ratty, old very tatty 1979 Type 2 Volkswagen. I saw it coming off the boat and to me it looked a very old, battered model but very cool," recalls Darren. 
"Catherine's relations said this is yours, they gave me the keys, so I got it for nothing. Now it's one of those things where it can never really leave the family. When I got it it was in pretty bad condition, it was in orange and white the old Volkswagen colours."

Since that fateful day Darren - who lives in Balreask Manor, Navan and works in sales for an English-based import and distribution company - has spent countless hours, and at least €20,000, doing the old van up to such an extent it is now an integral part of the family; like a much-loved dog or cat. The van is largely made up of metal but it might as well be flesh and blood.  
Darren, who is originally from Dublin, estimates the van is worth a lot financially although you get the impression he would have to be in dire straits to even consider selling it. He certainly has not been short or offers over the years. 
The running costs include insurance of €300 plus tax at €52 a year and whatever other "bits and pieces" are needed. Like any vintage car or van, he says, there's always something to be done. 
"We've two children, Aaron is 22 and Katie is 18. Katie has never known us not to have the van. We would never part with it. It's simply part of the family."  
Over the years Darren has lovingly, carefully turned the van into a mobile home with all the accessories needed; it all means the O'Briens can hit the road at any time and be self-sustained.  

Now with summer ahead it's time to turn their minds again to travelling the highways and byways of Ireland - and and they might even head for the UK - as they have done from time to time. 
Winter or summer Darren will, every so often, take out the van and go for a short drive simply because it can be a thereupatic, soothing, get-away-from-it-all thing to do.
"There are a lot of stresses in life, a lot of things that get people down. If I have any sort of a downtime I get into my van and drive around the Hill of Tara. Maybe I'll take a spin up as far as Mrs Os (O'Connell's pub on the Hill of Skryne), two or three of us, and it will put a smile on your face. Everyone does something, some lads are into football; the van has always being my thing."  
Known far and wide as the 'Sunflower Bus' after the flowers that were once painted along its side, the vehicle has become something of a media 'personality' in its own right having appeared in TV dramas (TG4) and advertisements for companies such as Vodafone.

Some years ago the van was part of a project aimed at making a couple's dream become a reality. "The people from the Ray D'Arcy show on radio contacted me. A couple, who were living in Australia were coming home, to get married and she had this dream that she would have a vintage Volkswagen camper van as part of their big day. 
"They found out about my van on line and asked me if I would help out. I got two of my friends who also had Volkswagens, we had a green bus that took the lads and a another bus that took the girls and I brought the bride and groom in my van from the church in Dunderry to the hotel in Trim where the reception was held." 
Then there was the approach made by people associated with Shane Lowry asking Darren if he would lend the famous golfer his van for a week. While there would undoubtedly have been a nice sum of money made available to 'compensate' Darren the negotiations never got to that stage. Years previously Darren had made the decision not to let anyone who didn't know the van well to drive it. 
"I was asked if I would rent it out to Shane Lowry and his pals for a week but I had to turn it down because I felt it's taken me so long to get the van to a certain level that I just didn't want to do it, so I said no." 
Darren O’Brien's undoubted, deep-rooted "love" for the Volkswagen model goes back far into his own childhood. His father always seemed be driving a VW, of one type or another. That admiration for the VW was transferred from one generation to the next. Almost 16 years ago Darren formed a website for admirers of the Type 2 Volkswagen - type2ireland.org. Now the site has many followers.
When presenter John Creedon was about to embark on his recently-aired TV series on travelling around Ireland in a old Volkswagen van he contacted the type2ireland group for some guidance on where the 'right' vehicle could be found.  
It's clear that Darren has read just about all there is to be read about Volkswagens; that he has seen all the documentaries. He has even visited the factory in Germany where the first Volkswagens, including the famous Beetle, were manufactured. 

A "downside" of having a vintage Volkswagen, he adds, is that it is run on petrol (18 miles to the gallon) and doesn't go very fast (55 mph or so) but any negatives are out-weighed by the positives.
Among those is that sense of belonging to a community - the Volkswagen van community - whose members are like-minded colleagues who regularly meet up at rallys and festivals. He recalls how last year on a beach in Inch, Co Kerry 58 Volkswagen vans were gathered together. "It was the biggest ever camp out of Volkswagen vans in Ireland." It was like a gathering of the clan. Each October Darren organises a similar event. 
"Because of this Volkswagen thing I have friends in every county so no matter where you go there's a cup of coffee available, there's always somewhere to stop. The whole vintage car scene is a lovely scene to be involved in. I never realised how much it meant to people." 
He remembers how 10 years ago his cherished van "gave up the ghost" and simply died as Darren was on his way to Kerry. "The engine completely seized. I sat in the back of the van, put on the kettle, had a cup of tea and called a few friends." 
The VW community quickly responded. Within hours a different, temporary engine was located and fitted by Darren and helpers. The next day the O'Briens were back home safely in Navan. Within weeks a more permanent engine was fitted and the ageing ‘Sunflower Bus‘ (which already had well over 400,000 miles clocked up) was reborn.
Now, with summer looming, Darren O'Brien will, as the Willie Nelson goes, "be back on the road again" in the old Volkswagen van he fell in love with all those years ago.