Dublin Art Galleries and Art Museums

Dublin has always been a centre for music, theatre, literature and of course, art. Our writers include four Nobel prize winners – Yeats, Beckett, Shaw and Heaney – helping Dublin become a UNESCO City Of Literature in 2010.

But our artists are equally admired and there are some wonderful examples of their, and other international painters and sculptors, in the fantastic art galleries and art museums dotted around Dublin.

National Gallery of Ireland

The National Gallery of Ireland is very close to the hotel, on Merrion Square, and it houses the national collection of Irish and European art.

Entry is free with Irish paintings by Henry, Orpen and Yeats. European masters include Caravaggio, Titan, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Gansborough. You’ll also see Picasso, Monet and Degas here.

Dublin City Gallery

Also known as the Hugh Lane Gallery and, originally, the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art – this is the first known public gallery of modern art in the world. It was founded by Sir Hugh Lane on Harcourt Street in 1908 but is today located in Charlemont House on Parnell Square.

Admission is free and there are few better ways to spend a rainy afternoon in Dublin.

Chester Beatty Gallery

European Museum of the Year in 2002, this was designed to house the collections of mining magnate, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty.

Today, the Chester Beatty Gallery is on the grounds of Dublin Castle and houses collections of manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and decorative arts from Islamic, East Asian and Western cultures.

Douglas Hyde Gallery

The Douglas Hyde Gallery is in Trinity College at the opposite end of Grafton Street to the hotel. For many years this was the only public gallery of contemporary art in Ireland.

Nowadays it still has an international reputation for exhibitions by, and for supporting, some of the most established and well-regarded Irish and international artists.

Irish Museum of Modern Art

Also known as IMMA, the Irish Museum of Modern Art is the home of modern and contemporary art in Ireland.

IMMA has a stunning home in the main building and the grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham where you’ll find a wide variety of incredible art from both inside and throughout the beautiful grounds of this magnificent old property.

Kevin Kavanagh Gallery

In the south inner city and not too far from us is the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery.

This is a modern exhibition space for established and up-and-coming Irish and international contemporary artists and the place where you could well discover your next favourite artist.

Merrion Square Art

Every weekend, up 100 artists exhibit their art for free by hanging it on the railings around the gorgeous Georgian Merrion Square.

New artists are allowed to exhibit every year so the work and artists keep changing which is why you should always a include a stroll around this open air gallery whenever you’re in town.

The People’s Art

Three times a year, the gorgeous St Stephen’s Green Georgian square, right across the road from the hotel, becomes a huge outdoor art gallery.

The People’s Art exhibitions appear every June, August and September, but, very often, artists will display their creations on some sunny weekends through the year. ask the concierges when the next one should be.

Temple Bar Gallery

The Temple Bar Gallery is an extraordinary is a not for profit registered charity in the heart of Dubin’s busy Temple Bar.

The building itself contains a contemporary visual art gallery and thirty artists studios so it’s a true, live, working art centre.

City Assembly House

Here’s another first: Dublin’s City Assembly House was the first purpose-built public exhibition room in the British Isles. It’s still an exhibition space today.

It’s an elegant Georgian townhouse that was built between 1766 and 1771 by the Society of Artists and is now, fittingly, the headquarters of the Irish Georgian Society, who are restoring it to its original splendour.

Get Directions

GPS coordinates: Lat 53.339442° Lon -6.261306°

Public Transport

There is a regular bus service called “Aircoach” departing from Dublin Airport every 15 minutes from 10 past the hour. The nearest stop to The Fitzwilliam Hotel is Grafton Street, near Trinity College which is a 10 minute stroll from the hotel. An adult ticket costs €7.00 per person or €14.00 p.p. return. Alternatively a taxi will cost approximately €30.00. The taxi rank is located outside Terminal 1 on the arrival level. Travel time is approximately 30 minutes.

Private Transport

We can arrange a transfer from Dublin Airport to The Fitzwilliam Hotel by private car and driver. There are a variety of vehicles available depending on the number of guests and quantity of luggage. For more details please contact our concierge team on [email protected] or 01 4787000

Private Parking

The 5 Star Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin offers secure parking for hotel residents. Valet parking is provided on a complimentary basis however, an overnight charge of €20.00 is applicable.