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
SummerAn 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
WinterMildred 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.
- AIB Portrait Prize and Young Prize
WinterAIB 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.
- Pop-up Talk: Sheppard's In Mystery the Soul Abides
WinterPop-up Talk: Sheppard's In Mystery the Soul Abides Join the National Gallery of Ireland for a free, in-person lunchtime talk about Sheppard's In Mystery the Soul Abides.
- Public Tour: Hard of Hearing Tour
WinterPublic Tour: Hard of Hearing Tour This free tour, exploring some highlights of the Gallery's permanent collection, is for individuals who are hard of hearing or have hearing impairments.
- Plates & Palettes: Irish Food Culture Snapshots Past and Present
WinterPlates & Palettes: Irish Food Culture Snapshots Past and Present Join hosts Blanca Valencia and Santina Kennedy for Plates & Palettes, an immersive culinary experience as we journey through time to explore the history of Irish food.
- Public Tour: Sketching Tour
WinterPublic Tour: Sketching Tour Explore the National Gallery's collection on this in-depth sketching tour taking place on Saturday 7 December 2024.
- Sunday Family Drop-in Workshop
WinterSunday Family Drop-in Workshop Explore your creative side in the Gallery’s iconic Shaw Room at this drop-in family workshop on Sunday 8 December.
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.
