'Absolutely mental': Apple launches first Irish store

Judging by press reports and YouTube videos, the grand opening of Ireland's first Apple Store was like any other -- except with an Irish accent.

The faithful queued up by the hundreds and waited for hours, fortified by coffee and biscuits. Staffers in orange, black and blue whooped and hollered up and down the line. And when the doors finally opened at 9 a.m. on the upper ground floor of Belfast's new Victoria Square mall, there where high-fives and free T-shirts for all.

The YouTube video pasted below captures the noise and excitement, but to get the full flavor of Northern Ireland's home-brewed Mac cult -- Apple logo calf tattoo and all -- check out the BBC film report here.

"It's mental," says an Irish fanman with his fanboy son in tow. "It's absolutely mental."

For interior photos and a nicely written account, see Alan in Belfast's blog entry here.

The Belfast store was one of five that Apple [AAPL] opened on Saturday -- one in Lancaster, PA, one in Colorado Springs, CO, and two in California.

Screen grab courtesy of the BBC.