It doesn't cost anything - it's free to enter the National Gallery of Ireland, but they do take…read moredonations in cash or card form. This place is beautiful, and the spaces are gorgeous. They have chandeliers, staircases, and sculptures that make for wonderful photos. They have a good selection of art pieces, too. I really liked the portrait section. There's a space for kids to create their own art pieces with crayons, colored pencils, paper, and clipboards. There's also a museum gift shop with great gifts.

What is not to love about art?…read more They have some of the greats like Picasso and and Renoir. Some of the exhibits were closed but this was still worth a visit. Free entry.

The building was kind of cool. The exhibits were very bland and not many of them. Not to my…read moreliking. Quite disappointed. Granted I am from LA and really enjoy LACMA. It was free, but honestly not worth the time in my opinion.

I am still a huge fan of this spot, I do have a penchant for modern art so it makes sense…read more Yesterday I went to see the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit. Here is a quick tip, exhibitions like this as in temporary and from famed artists cost you money to view. Boo! Well then get there on Fridays as that is when its free. It was rather full and I rushed through the somewhat small exhibit so if you can, get there early.

SO Fine Art Editions is an impressive contemporary art gallery which opened in September, 2013…read more They stock an extensive range of works, specialising in original fine art prints such as etchings, lithographs, woodcuts and mono prints, ceramics, sculpture and photography by well established and emerging contemporary Irish and international artists. They have works of a high quality within a surprisingly moderate price range and they have an informal and friendly approach and encourage visitors to take their time and browse through all on display. I have bought a few pieces from them over the past few years and they have always been helpful and you get email invitations to their exhibitions. Really friendly staff who are knowledgable and willing to go the extra mile to help find what you are looking for.

Hugh Lane Gallery is a must for art-lovers. We were so impressed with their collection of amazing…read moreworks. it's something one can cover in a couple of hours or less. Worth noting is that the gift shop is extraordinary. I felt their prices were impressive compared to the typical gift shop pricing structure. For those visiting Dublin, I highly recommend making this a stop during your travels.

Hard for me to recommend this gallery when they are between main exhibits and while the Sean Scully…read moreroom is closed for refurbishment because there is basically nothing to see and they should be very clear on their web site. Instead they still trumpet their "rich collection" and "incredible breadth and depth." Ha! You know what's good right now? The staff are very pleasant and some even openly apologetic. The cafe is cozy with a decent selection of F&B. The bathrooms are clean. It's free so you're not wasting money. Take refuge from the rain but don't expect any art -- at least during June 2025.

Lovely venue right in the heart of Temple Bar - boys night out for a play in the Cube theatre…read more The foyer and reception area felt a bit like a library - very sterile and quiet. It makes you feel like you need to whisper... *hush* Upstairs is a different crowd altogether - an intimate bar with big windows, perfect for people watching in Temple Bar. Small but good selection of beer too, my mates enjoyed a Brooklyn beer while I guzzled back a glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Note however the bar will be closed for the time a show is going on upstairs so plan your visit accordingly!

One of the venues that make Temple Bar so much more interesting. It's a space devoted to…read moreperformative and contemporary art, from plays to curated exhibitions. It's well worth keeping an eye out for what goes on here, some small but interesting productions pop up from time to time. A considerable part of their programme is offered for free. Like other people said, the entrance feels a bit uninviting for some reason - is it that you're immediately faced with the reception desk, their gatekeeper? Or the tables to the side, surrounded by books, where a lot of times a sort of private lecture seems to be going on? Whatever it is, don't be put off by it, the members of staff are quite nice. I can attest to the versatility of the different rooms, as they are completely transformed to better suit whatever they're hosting. One month there's a huge installation making use most of the space and the next you have a stage and rows of theatre seats. There's a small café too, and the area by the big windows upstairs, overlooking the street and bathed by its light, is a good place to sit and relax for a while, a lot more relaxing than the tables downstairs.

Le Catedral's fuchsia pink door stands out like a ray of light in the midst of the more cheerless,…read moreindustrialized looking exteriors on St. Augustine Street. This intriguing mode of entry really roused my interest. Upon entry, ascend the white-washed walls laden with a whole conglomerate of paintings and photographs old and new. The Back Loft is a bright and roomy multi-disciplinary loft located at the back of La Catedral Studios. It is a multi-purpose space for the arts in a reclaimed Victorian industrial loft. Refurbished to a bare minimum to preserve the raw fabric of its past time charm, this inspired space is an unconventional artists' playground which embraces any art related project. The space may be hired for art exhibitions, live art events, theatre plays and rehearsals, workshops, intimate music gigs, dance, life drawing, photo shoots, film location and functions, to mention a few. The Back Loft is particularly open to experimentations and to adventurous site-specific work, to individual and collectives' curated projects and is an ideal springboard for emerging artists. I recently attended a photo exhibition here organized by a college friend who was able to get her hands on the venue relatively easily. Since its establishment in 2005, the Back Loft has played host to a great array of events independently curated by individuals and collectives. From what she said the studios offered a nurturing and supportive environment with 24 hr/7 day access, wi-fi, visibility on the studios' blog, kitchen and chill out space, free attendance at the back loft events, participation in an open studio event at Culture Night, negotiable rates for hire of the Back Loft and free access to the Back Loft for private use. I have attended a separate function here where I witnessed the use of one projector, one sound system (mixing desk and two speakers), two microphone stands, one microphone, one upright acoustic piano and a rack of gallery spotlights to further emphasise it's unique resourcefulness. From a punter's point of view the space's great natural light as a result of sky-lights running the length of the space and original pine timber flooring provide the ideal backdrop to witness pioneering artwork like no other.

The Good I saw a pretty kick ass indy play here in the…read morebeginning of December called "The Suitcase Milongurea" by Nicole Rouke and the smokin' sounds of Truly Divine. The space is a solid venue space to host an event. Big room, It has that NY city loft feel meets local messy artist space. Lots of cool local artists have their work displayed all around the gallery. The drawbacks Some of the a/v equipment wasn't working on my last visit there and the bathrooms need better maintenance, but other than that the venue is a chill hang out spot!

If you're looking for a present for someone whilst supporting local artists, this is the job…read more It's a deadly little shop just a smidgen outside the main city centre drag that has some really interesting pieces in it. Lots by local photographers and street artists (have my eye on a Solus print that I can't get out of my miiiind!) There are also lampshades and photo blocks, placemats, bags, t-shirts n all kinds of random stuff. This makes it sound like it's just another one of 'those' shops though. You know the ones. Nice to look around. Smile anemically at the shop attendance. He smiles hopelessly back. You walk out, empty handed, with the thoughts of the pretty bits you saw gone already by the time you get to the nearest Spar. Not so in the Jam Art Factory! Honestly there were about 17 different things in here I could have bought for myself or others. They are all completely unique and most are Irish (in fact, from Dublin). But not Irish in a shilaley kinda way - in a much more 'Jezus we're deadly' kinda way. They also do framing by the way - if you do buy one of their pieces, or if, like me, you've been hoarding prints and paintings for years, clinically fearful of the price of putting them behind wood and glass. I've been assured that it won't set me back a frightening amount, so I will be back, and will update this accordingly.

Walking to St. Patrick's Cathedral, I came across this gorgeous shop window with quirky posters…read morehung across like washing line. The artwork and sayings were wise, witty, funny, ironic and hip and I loved the look of the shop so wandered in to find out it was an art coop of sorts, which featured only local Irish designers and artists. I loved a local artist's take on Tintin as Hipster and ended up purchasing this poster of a screen silk of a young Alice-in-Wonderland-type-of-gal looking at these butterflies on a page from an old thesaurus. There was also just other lovely cool decorative arts stuff. The bloke behind the counter was also gregarious, engaging and passionate about supporting local art. Loved the store, and highly encourage local Dubliners to go and support their neighborhood artists! Note: #282 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

I love the shop in the National Gallery. Not only does it have gorgeous prints and imitation…read morepictures, but it has the best stationary and random book or make-and-do section that I've found. There's brilliant kids stuff and lots of unusual reference books. Nice and alternative.

The National Gallery of Ireland Shop is located in the Gallery's Millennium Wing, just inside the…read moreClare Street entrance. The Gallery shop offers an extraordinary range of artistic memorabilia and fine-art hardbacks. Excellent quality gallery guides and publications such as '1854-2004 The Story of the National Gallery of Ireland', 'Samuel Beckett, A Passion for Painting', and one I recently bought entitled 'Harry Clarke's Illustrations for Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tales' are stocked in abundance. The shop also does well to supply really superb art prints and posters ranging from custom prints, canvas prints and small replica prints of the popular paintings displayed within the gallery. The shelves are crammed with awesome art books including those on the topic of Art History together with art inspired fiction such as Sue Roe's 'The Private Lives of the Impressionists', or A.S Byatt's 'Still Life', which I recently purchased. It doesn't stop there either with hardbacks about architecture such as Phaidon publications (well, this wouldn't be a gallery nor museum shop without this name making an appearance in the realm of books concerning the 'visual arts') like 'The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture Travel Edition' amongst others included in the extensive range of stock. However, it's the 'Irish Art and Architecture' hardbacks that really enliven the senses, the cheapest costing a whopping €55. S.B Kennedy's 400 page, 15''x15'' hardback entitled 'Paul Henry - Paintings, Drawings and Illustrations' would illuminate any coffee table. As Ireland's greatest 20th century landscape painter he is featured heavily in the gallery and this carries through to the gifts on offer within the shop. Not only are there books dedicated to his masterpieces as explained but pencils, pens, postcards and more besides all featuring his works of art are available to buy. These gargantuan books really are as striking as their price would suggest. 'Ireland's Painters 1600-1940', for example priced at €60.00 offers one of the finest richly illustrated surveys of the history of 'the' Irish painting (that expertly encompasses the entire span from the middle ages to the mid-20th century) that I have ever seen. Stationery and gifts, calenders and diaries all featuring replicated images of the paintings displayed within the gallery align the shelves in abundance. A chock load of postcards and stationery featuring the gallery's most famous paintings such as Caravaggio's 'The Taking of Christ', Frederick William Burton, 'Meeting on the Turret Stairs' and Rembrandt's 'Landscape with the Rest on the Flight into Egypt' cram the shelves. Moving away from this seeming refined stockpile and things directly affiliated with art, the shop also stocks more light-hearted products that are irrelevant in light of fine art but maintain a creative edge concurrent with everything the shop stocks. This includes a pair of Freudian slippers, magnets of Munch's 'Scream' amongst other humorous items. A wonderful shop chocked full with goods that are as cultured as they are entertaining. Anytime I have ever gone in there with friends no one has ever come out empty handed despite no initial intentions to buy anything, which only pays homage to the appealing goods on offer.