National Gallery of Ireland

Over het museum

The National Gallery of Ireland grew out of the Great Industrial Exhibition of 1853, which the railway entrepreneur William Dargan paid for on the lawn of Leinster House. The crowds showed that there was public interest in a permanent art collection, and a committee was set up to create a national gallery as a tribute to Dargan. The building by Francis Fowke was made to match the neighbouring Natural History Museum, and the Earl of Carlisle opened the gallery to the public on 30 January 1864. At first it showed only 112 pictures, among them works bought in Rome in 1856 and loans from London.

Gifts and purchases made the collection grow quickly. In 1901 the Countess of Milltown gave more than 200 pictures from Russborough House, which required a new extension. The Beit Wing was added in 1968 and is named after Sir Alfred and Lady Beit, who gave seventeen Old Master paintings in 1987. In 1993 Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ was recognised in a Jesuit house in Dublin, and it hangs in the gallery on indefinite loan. The Millennium Wing, opened in 2002, added a second entrance on Clare Street.

Between 2011 and 2017 the historic Dargan and Milltown Wings were restored and a courtyard was opened up between them. Today the gallery shows Irish art from the seventeenth century onwards alongside paintings, drawings and prints from across Europe, and it runs a large programme of tours, talks and activities for families and schools. Entry to the permanent collection is free; a small number of temporary exhibitions are ticketed.

Hoogtepunten

• Free entry to the permanent collection
• Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ, on loan from the Jesuits
• Irish art and National Portrait Collection
• Historic Dargan, Milltown and Beit Wings and the modern Millennium Wing
• Family packs, an audio tour for kids and an Atrium Creative Space

Vaste collectie

• Permanent collection of Irish and European art – Irish and European paintings, drawings and prints from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, including Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ and the National Portrait Collection, shown in the Dargan, Milltown, Beit and Millennium Wings.

Opgericht

1854

Beheerder

National Gallery of Ireland (national cultural institution)

Directie

Caroline Campbell

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

De toegang is gratis.

Admission to the permanent collection is free and no booking is needed. Most temporary exhibitions are free as well, but each year two have an admission charge, which is free for members of the Friends of the Gallery. Groups must book a time slot even for free visits, and private guided tours are charged.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie

All galleries and facilities are accessible for wheelchairs and buggies, and a limited number of wheelchairs can be borrowed. Accessible toilets are in the Millennium Wing (Level -1 and Level 1) and the Beit Wing (Level -1); a Changing Places toilet in the Beit Wing is opened with a key from the information desks. There are four disabled parking spaces outside the Merrion Square entrance. Induction loops are fitted at the information desks, the lecture theatre and the shop, large-print booklets are available in the galleries, and a selection of artworks has audio description. Irish Sign Language tours are listed in the What’s On calendar, and free tours are offered to additional-needs groups. The gallery holds the AsIAm autism-friendly accreditation and publishes a social guide to visiting.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk

Family packs with drawing materials and drawing and creative-writing kits can be borrowed free from the information desks. The Atrium Creative Space with drawing materials is open all year, and there are an audio tour for kids and families, online self-guided tours for children, creative activities and a programme of workshops. Buggies are welcome in all galleries. Children must be supervised by an adult.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The gallery has two entrances, on Merrion Square West and on Clare Street. Two Dublinbikes stations are next to the gallery at Clare Street and Merrion Square West. St Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street and Trinity College are about ten minutes away on foot.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel
• Kluisjes

The Gallery Café is on Level 0 of the Millennium Wing, best reached from the Clare Street entrance. The Gallery Shop is just inside the Clare Street entrance. Self-service lockers at Merrion Square take handheld bags and backpacks (45 × 37 × 45 cm); large suitcases are not allowed.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

Tot 300 personen.

Spaces include the Wintergarden, the Atrium, Number 5 South Leinster Street and the Georgian Rooms. Events can have from 10 up to 300 guests, with private views of the collection on request; five weeks’ lead time is asked.

Je bezoek plannen