A committee was formed in the 1850s to commemorate in some permanent way the munificence of William Dargan. He was the outstanding inaugurator of many Irish railway companies and almost single handedly financed the Great Exhibition of 1853 which included the country's greatest art collection up to then.

Agreeing that an Irish National Gallery would be a fitting testimonial for Dargan the committee donated £5,000 to the Irish Institution, an organisation set up to acquire paintings and open just such a gallery. Built as a copy of the neighbouring Natural History Museum, the Gallery opened in 1864, on the same day that Dargan's statue on the front lawn, sculpted by Thomas Farrell, was unveiled.

In 1903 the Gallery was enlarged and a further extension, the North Wing, was opened in 1968. The new Millennium Wing, the largest extension to date, was opened in 2001.

George Bernard Shaw spent many a youthful day appreciating the treasures and his bequests to the Gallery, principally the royalties from 'Pygmalion' and 'My Fair Lady', have helped to further enrich the collection and make the National Gallery one of the finest for its size in the world. The National Gallery of Ireland is a most welcoming institution and offers many  facilities including touch-screen computers, lectures, family and open days, drawing studies, school programmes and guided tours.

Artists represented include Rembrandt, Fra Angelico, Valázquez, Vermeer, Murillo, Hogarth, Reynolds, Turner, Gainsborough, Titian, Caravaggio, Brueghel, Van Dyck, El Greco and Picasso. The Irish School includes Osborne, O'Conor, Maclise, Hone, Orpen, Jack B Yeats. 

Guided Tours (free)

Saturdays - 15:00
Sundays - 14:00, 15:00, 16:00

Tours at 3pm daily throughout July & August

Audio guides are available from the Information Desk throughout the day

Group tours, including those for visually and hearing impaired visitors, can be arranged by booking in advance.  Please contact the Education Department on 01-663 3505 (telephone) or 01-6610099 (fax)  
Group tours should be booked three weeks in advance of visit.

Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday:  9.30 - 17.30
Thursday:  9.30 - 20.30
Sunday:  12.00 - 17.30

Closed Good Friday and 24-26 December.

Shutdown of exhibition galleries starts 15 minutes before closing time.

General admission is free.However, the Gallery welcomes donations (the suggested donation is €3). Entry to exhibitions in the  Millennium Wing may carry a charge.

For more information, visit www.nationalgallery.ie

National Gallery of Ireland,
Merrion Square West & Clare Street,
Dublin 2
Tel:   +353-1-661 5133
E-mail: info@ngi.ie

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The above information was valid to the best knowledge available to the compiler but responsibility cannot be accepted for any unintentional inaccuracies or out of date data.

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