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Image: Shiela Melvin 7th Avenue
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 11am - 5pm
Thursday: 11am - 8pm
Sunday: 2pm - 5pm
Royal Hibernian Academy
15 Ely Place
Dublin 2.
Tel: +353 (0) 1 661 2558
Web: RHA
Gallagher Exhibitions:
Jul 21st to Aug 27th: Stephen Brandes & Plane
Sept 15th to Oct 22nd: Robert Ballagh - A Retrospective
Sept 15th to Oct 22nd: Tim Hawkesworth - Recent Drawings and Paintings
Ashford Exhibitions:
July 14th to Aug 3rd: Kieran Moore
Sept 8th to 28th: Colin Martin - A Night Demesne
Oct 6th to 26th: Recent Graduates
About The Gallery
The RHA is an organization run by artists, aiming to provide a direct point of contact between artists and the public, offering both gallery space and educational opportunities.
After the original home of the Royal Hibernian Academy was burnt down during the 1916 uprising, the RHA bought the current site on Ely place, which used to be Oliver St John Gogarty's house and George Moore's garden, in 1939.
Without suitable funding, the desired developments did not happen, until in the 1960s, when Matt Gallagher decided to fund the construction of the building which now houses the Academy.
After Matt Gallagher's death, his family continued with the construction, but hard times delayed the building's completion until 1987. Seeing that the completion of the building was beyond the means of the Academy itself, a number of patrons, many friends of Mr. Gallagher's, provided the funds required.
Then Minister for the Arts Ted Nealon set up a Trust to supervise the development of the Academy over the following ten years. The government was to build the Academy school and Members' Quarters, and provide a grant of £100,000 each year. At the end of the ten years, the care of the galleries was to be returned to the RHA.
The £100,000 grant was never to materialize however, and the RHA and galleries were funded by a combination of private donations and proceeds from the RHA's Annual Exhibition.
Once the ten-year period was over, the Trust returned control of the galleries to the RHA, and a period of renewal began; under the guidance of director Patrick Murphy, the RHA became the institution that it is today.
There are currently 30 members of the Academy and 10 associate members, as limited by the academy's charter. Should a membership become available, one of the associate members is chosen by secret ballot. Associate members themselves are selected from a list of artists nominated and seconded by previous Academicians.
The RHA continues with its Annual Exhibition, now is a regular fixture of Ireland's cultural calendar, as well as holding a variety of exciting and innovative exhibitions from Ireland and abroad throughout the year.
Closed in 1939, the RHA schools have not been fully reopened. The gallery stays true to its original mandate however, and holds a variety of public lectures, talks and tours throughout the year.
Every Tuesday at 1.15pm the RHA Education Officer gives a lunchtime tour of the current exhibition, while on Wednesdays, gallery visitors can hear informal lectures by artists.
Tours can be arranged by contacting the Education Department on 01 661 2558.
