Posted 17.1.23

Dublin is a city known for its extraordinary artistic heritage. From its writers to its architecture, the city has a prestigious cultural inheritance. The visual arts are no exception, as Dublin plays host to stunning old masters and boundary-pushing contemporary artists alike. These are the 7 must see galleries in Dublin.

National Gallery of Ireland

Merrion Square West, Dublin 2

Any list of Dublin’s finest galleries naturally has to begin with this behemoth. Artists in its collection range from many of Ireland’s greatest artists – Jack B. Yeats, Daniel Maclise and James Barry – to titans of the Italian Renaissance like Caravaggio and Titian. Located in the stunning Georgian complex on Merrion Street, this is the home of high culture in old Dublin. The times may change, but the National Gallery remains one of the country’s most prestigious museums.

Science Gallery

Trinity College Dublin, Pearse Street, Dublin 2

Though a part of Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest university, there is absolutely nothing traditional about the Science Gallery. Holding no permanent collection, the Science Gallery seeks to integrate artistic expression and scientific exploration through one time only exhibitions, built around a single theme. 

The result is one of Europe’s most innovative and thought provoking exhibition spaces. Past exhibitions have centred on an extraordinarily diverse range of themes, from invisibility to plastic.

Hugh Lane Gallery

Charlemont House, Parnell Square, Dublin 1

Located in the grandeur of Charlemont House, the Hugh Lane Gallery holds many of Ireland’s most prestigious late 19th century and avant-garde pieces. Known in particular for its French collection – Les Parapluies by Auguste Renoir and Portrait of Eva Gonzales by Édouard Manet being the jewels in the gallery’s crown – the Hugh Lane Gallery also hosts an exact replica of Francis Bacon’s studio. 

Relocated from London, Bacon’s studio provides a fascinating insight into the work space of one of the 20th century’s great artists, and an invaluable scholarly resource.

The Little Museum of Dublin

15 Saint Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2

At the opposite end of the spectrum from the grandeur of the National Gallery, this carefully curated smaller museum functions both as an exhibition space for local artists and as a historical record for the city as a whole. Weaving the work of Dublin artists like James Malton in with tightly directed narratives about life in the Irish capital, the Little Museum is a fascinating must see.

Irish Museum of Modern Art

Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin 8

Standing in the 17th century Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the Irish Museum of Modern Art first opened in 1991. Since then, the Irish MoMA has been the premier venue for art produced since the Second World War. From Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art masterpieces, to the conceptual art of Lawrence Weiner, the museum’s collection showcases the cultural currents which continue to influence artists today. 

Royal Hibernian Academy Gallery

15 Ely Place, Dublin 2

The brutalist façade should prepare you for the stark, modern exhibition space within, but even that can’t prepare you for the extraordinary range of modern art found in the RHA’s collection. Hosting both a major art college and Ireland’s largest open submission art show, the RHA showcases the beating pulse of contemporary Irish art.

Olivier Cornet Gallery

3 Great Denmark Street, Dublin 1 

A gallery that represents an astonishing range of media – from paintings, to photography, to ceramics – the Olivier Cornet offers a truly holistic artistic experience. Curating artists from around Europe, from Annika Berglund’s ceramics to Hugh Cummins’ hardwood sculptures, you are sure to discover a striking and truly original artist in the Olivier Cornet Gallery.