Hugh Lane Gallery

Not a fan. Having been to many galleries in Dublin I felt a bit «out of place» at this one. I made the unwitting mistake of daring to walk in with my cup of coffee and was immediately made to feel like a complete criminal with a how dare you bring that in here. Not something I have experienced in other galleries. So sadly I cant really comment on the art, because having just treated myself to a nice white choc mocha I wasnt going to rush it down to get in. Headed to the Science Gallery instead. That was a great exhibition!

Definitely one of my favourite art galleries. If you like Impressionism, this is the best place in Dublin to visit! The highlights include Francis Bacon’s studio and the stained glass room. It’s free admission and only a 5 minute walk from O’Connell Street. Definitely worth a visit!

The perfect place to spend a Sunday — head to the Hugh Lane Gallery for one of their free lunchtime concerts (starts at noon — but best to get there early to get a seat/​let in the room), then follow it up by a wander round the art work — from classical to contemporary there’s something for all.

A wonderful place to discover

This museum has several signs outside giving confusion to its name:
The Hugh Lane Gallery.
The Dublin City Gallery.
The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art.
This museum is on the north side of Parnell Square near the Irish Writers museum at the grayline city tour bus stop 23. It’s not listed on most tourist maps for some reason.
It’s the best art museum in Dublin. It’s not large (but Dublin is not Paris or London either) but there are quality works of art here. I give it 5 stars because it’s so much better than anything else in the city.
The first gallery rooms hold the most famous & impressive works. A couple of rooms contain the works of excellent Irish painters I’d not heard of which is a real treat. At the back are glass doors into the recreation of Francis Bacon’s painting studio which is amazing. There are special exhibit rooms on both floors. A quiet lovely café here.
Tip– keep an eye on the frames in this place there are some incredible ones here.

Definitely worth seeing. This museum is free and pretty small, so it’s more than manageable. It seemed to have a strange grouping of exhibits that were so far away from each other in style and theme. But it’s a cool place and definitely worth the visit. They also have free wifi.

Peaceful place, good location, beautiful art work, cozy coffee place and its Free. :)

As the prompter says, ‘as good as it gets’.
If you haven’t had a little museum day around Dublin, or you’re looking for some amusement on a rainy day, or you just want to be able to say to people when you’re out that night «Yeah so I was walking around Hugh Lane earlier today…» then DO IT!
I hadn’t been since my school days and thoroughly enjoyed the ramble. The Francis Bacon part was definitely my favourite — they have literally exactly reconstructed his London studio, brush by brush, tiny piece by tiny piece, to reinstate it in the Hugh Lane exactly as it was. His mind is as much of a mess as mine, and his studio reflects my office just as well. Makes ya feel fabulous.
The architecture is another massive stand out — it’s simply stunning and has been renovated to perfection.
Oh — cool café and gift shop as well, if ya feel like you wanna get rid of some cash, seeing as entrance is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

The impressionist are back, Renoir’s Les Parapluies, see it while it’s here!
Fans of Francis Bacon should make sure they drop in here. His studio, moved piece by piece from London, is on display as well as some of his artwork. The gallery also has very interesting temporary exhibitions that change on a regular basis.
I generally go to galleries more for their architecture then what is in them. I love the mix of old and modern in this gallery, there is also a café with a really nice outdoor courtyard.

Great Gallery and good location I really like wandering from the church, to the Gallery and then across the street for some beautiful relaxing scenery.
The gallery is very open and I liked that. a very interesting and captivating experience. Its free and you must see it!

this is a really airy large gallery and not overstuffed with paintings. however don’t go in with children as i did as all they want to do is race through and then giggle at the naked male statue beside the café. go alone or with someone who appreciates art and maybe grab a lecture so that you know what the art actually means or meant to the person that painted it.
if you have time afterwards go for a wander around the writers museum next door and then the garden of rememberance across the road so a day of art appreciation.

I came here for a book reading by the American author Jeffry Eugenides, writer of the Virgin suicides. His new book is called the Marriage Plot and it seems really good although I havnt got around to reading it yet. He was very interesting although I wish the woman interviewing didnt like the sound of her voice so much. We had a quick look around the gallery afterwards. There are some beautiful artworks in here and it is well worth a visit. I will definitely go back. I didnt get long enough. Im not a big art connisseur but there was some cool looking paintings here. Ive been dragged to loads of gallerys but I wouldnt have to be dragged here.

There two entries under slightly different names for this gallery in the Unilocal reviews. It’s the same place, in other words the municipal art museum.
At this point its big draw is the Francis Bacon studio. Apparently they shipped the late artists studio in from London and rebuilt it here. It is a fascinating, scary sight .You get the impression that his paintings came out the way they did because he had to go with whatever he could find in his utterly chaotic studio. There is also an interesting photo exhibit dedicated to Bacon’s circle.
There are a number of reasonably good paintings here by artists you’ve heard of and some you haven’t.It’s fairly small, manageable and free!

This is a great gallery!
I went there to attend the Passion and Politics lectures. It’s a great way to learn about Irish history. The lecturers are fantastic.
The gallery also has a fantastic Harry Clark!
Definitely worth checking out if you are in that part of town.

I’ve sort of falling in love with this place since coming to Dublin. This is a great place to have a wander around and let the hours disappear. The Francis Bacon studio is really popular, and is hopefully getting the punters in, especially when the rest of the work is of such a high standard. I’d recommend checking out the Eve of St. Agnes by Harry Clarke on the ground floor too.
It has the usual gallery amenities: lectures, tours, café and gift shop. Plenty to turn a quick trip into a day out.
Oh, and the place has free wi-​fi, so if you want to look very clever, you’re only a Google away…

I don’t do fine art or modern art. Not the art’s fault. Mine. I get nothing out of staring at a canvas covered in paint with the face of some guy/​gal/​interpretive thingy on it.
This gallery may be changing my mind. With the awesome exhibit of John Lavery’s work focusing on the personalities involved in Irish history of the first ¹⁄₃ of the 20^th century that fills several galleries, I found myself being drawn into the painted eyes of both rebels and royals of that period and starting thinking that there may be something to this art thing after all.
I had less interest in the more modern-​y modern stuff, because frankly I can’t read a description of an exhibit that uses the word «teleological» without laughing so loud the guards give me dirty looks. And I’m kinda over my squiggles-​as-​art phase… but if that’s your thing, more power to ya! You may also love the Manet/​Monety blurry stuff that left me cold but my friends love to see «in person».
So more on the Laverly exhibit. (NOTE: It’s curated a little oddly, with story panels set up to be read chronologically arranged in galleries that don’t flow in an orderly fashion, giving rise to a little confusion. It wasn’t just me, I heard the guard/​docent explain several times that it wasn’t in strict chrono order and in some cases the panels didn’t follow one another until you’d gone into the next room and read the panel there, kinda an ABDC thing, just go with it)
But the power of seeing the portraits of all the major players of the time, reading about how the artist and his wife acted as social go-​betweens between Unionists and Free Staters and even the Brits themselves was fascinating. Laverly has some real power to his brush, and I felt the inklings of understanding quivering in my soul.
It’s not just faces on walls, Lavery also painted fantastical/​mythical settings, excellent funeral procession and courtroom portraits, and some very touching pieces from later in his life that he did of his wife in her final illness.
What DID hit me hardest was an excellent bit of story board quoting the Yeats poem written about some of the same pictures that I had just spent time getting to know. I AM powerfully affected by the written word, and I challenge anybody to spend hours with these portraits (including the portrait of Michael Collins after he was killed), and not be moved to tears upon reading
” Come to this hallowed place
Where my friends’ portraits hang and look thereon;
Ireland’s history in their lineaments trace;
Think where man’s glory most begins and ends,
And say my glory was I had such friends.“
Beyond the Lavery exhibit, I was also quite moved by the stained glass work «The Eve of St. Agnes», and will be going back soon to spend more time with it.
Bottom line:
‘This is not,’ I say,
‘The dead Ireland of my youth, but an Ireland
The poets have imagined, terrible and gay.’

A wonderful small art galley in Dublin.
The gallery houses some major masterpieces by Monet, Renoir and Degas as well as art by leading national and international contemporary artists.
The stained glass display just inside the entryway, with the Eve of St. Agnes by Harry Clarke is really remarkable
Tips:
Admission to the Gallery is free.
The café and bookshop are open during gallery hours.
The Gallery is approximately 10 minutes from Connolly Station & Tara Street Station.

I went to the Hugh Lane last month to see the Francis Bacon exhibition. I had never really thought of the museum before but I found myself wandering around town looking for something and that’s when I remembered that this place is free.
On Parnell Square, it’s an impressive building with white columns and a hypnotizing walking lady outside. The inside is even more beautiful. There’s a large hollowed hall where they sometimes have events such as poetry readings.
There’s also a gift shop that sells art books and popular novels. Downstairs you’ll find an upscale café. I imagine that in the summer, the restaurant is even better because you can sit outside in a little garden.
The kind of art that the museum displays is modern. The Francis Bacon exhibit was a mixture of paintings and audio visual material, like videos and recordings. The museum had recreated Bacon’s studio which was very cool. You couldn’t actually enter the recreation but by pressing your face against the glass, you get a good look at his chaotic work space.
Hugh Lane is definitely worth the detour.

Excellent and exciting free gallery and art space in the heart of the city. It is housed in beautiful, grand and historic Charlemont House and is host to the now legendary Sundays at Noon series.
As the name suggests come here on, you guessed it Sundays, at, yup noon and catch a great classical or contemporary music concert. These are always excellent, top class and really popular!
My favourite area is the wonderful Francis Bacon’s Studio, especially the photographs!

This is yet another FREE gallery in the city. It’s a city treasure, a fantastic building to wander around and take all the art in. If you are looking for something to fill your time than go here. There is a coffee shop there too and it enjoys one of the most serene settings in the capital.
Plus you get to see Francis Bacon’s studio, now that is quite the experience. Plus they run a Sunday lecture series, that again is free.
I love the installation outside the building, it always makes me happy when I see it. It’s like a lego woman doing the digital moonwalk, nice.