The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the country’s most popular visitor attractions. It houses the nation’s collection of European and Irish art from about 1300 to the present day, and an extensive library and archive.
Entry to the permanent collection, and many temporary exhibitions, is free for all. Open seven days a week, the Gallery is conveniently located in Dublin City centre, a short stroll from Trinity College and Merrion Square.
Free guided tours are available at weekends. Family packs and drawing and creative writing kits are available to borrow for free. Facilities include a shop, café, and wheelchair access to all levels.
Some temporary exhibitions need to be booked in advance and have an admission charge, but there are discounts and special offers available.
Take a look at the Gallery website in advance of your visit for full details.
- An Túr Gloine: Artists and the Collective
Family funAn Túr Gloine: Artists and the Collective An Túr Gloine was a pioneering stained glass studio, founded in 1903 by portrait painter Sarah Purser, with the help of Irish cultural activist Edward Martyn and English stained glass artist Alfred E. Child.
- Mildred Anne Butler – At Home in Nature
Family funMildred Anne Butler – At Home in Nature This exhibition showcases the work of Mildred Anne Butler (1858–1941), focusing on her revolutionary plein-air paintings and her skills in depicting animals, birds, and botany.
- In Real Life
Family funIn Real Life This exhibition celebrates the beauty and fragility of nature through works from the collection – closely observed studies, topographical views and poetic interpretations
- AIB Portrait Prize and Young Prize
Family funAIB Portrait Prize and Young Prize The AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize competitions will showcase contemporary portraiture and invites submissions from artists working in all media across the island of Ireland, and from Irish artists living abroad.
- Plates and Palettes: Louis Le Brocquy and Maura Laverty collaboration
Arts and culturePlates and Palettes: Louis Le Brocquy and Maura Laverty collaboration Join hosts Blanca Valencia and Santina Kennedy for Plates & Palettes, an immersive culinary experience in which we explore the collaboration between the iconic Irish artist Louis le Brocquy and the novelist, playwright and food writer, Maura Laverty.
- Public Tour: Irish Art
Family funPublic Tour: Irish Art Join us for a free guided tour exploring a selection of Irish art in the national collection. These are artists who changed the landscape of the Irish art world during their lifetimes and beyond.
- Pop-up Talk: Hughie O'Donoghue's Original Sins
Free things to doPop-up Talk: Hughie O'Donoghue's Original Sins Join us for a free, in-person lunchtime talk looking at Hughie O'Donoghue's Original Sins. . .
- Tipple with Art
Arts and cultureTipple with Art Explore your creative side over a glass of prosecco or soft drink in a fun atmosphere here at the National Gallery of Ireland and join in our 'Tipple with Art' event!
Call into Sweny's Pharmacy in Lincoln Place immortalised in James Joyce’s Ulysses, still selling the famous lemon soap as bought by Leopold Bloom in chapter five of Ulysses.
