Military Road entrance to IMMA

©AnneMarie McCarthy/Lonely Planet

Irish Museum of Modern Art

Dublin


Ireland's most important collection of modern and contemporary Irish and international art is housed in the elegant, airy expanse of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, designed by Sir William Robinson and built between 1684 and 1687 as a retirement home for soldiers. It fulfilled this role until 1928, after which it languished for nearly 50 years until a 1980s restoration saw it come back to life as this wonderful repository of art.

The building, which was inspired by Les Invalides in Paris, is a marvellous example of the Anglo-Dutch style that preceded the Georgian Age; at the time of its construction there were mutterings that it was altogether too fine a place for its residents.

Following Irish independence it was briefly considered as a potential home for the new Irish Parliament, but it ended up as a storage facility for the National Museum of Ireland. Restorations began on the occasion of its 300th birthday in 1984 and it opened in 1991. A major restoration between 2012 and 2013 gave it an extra bit of sparkle.

The blend of old and new comes together wonderfully, and you'll find such contemporary Irish artists as Louis le Brocquy, Sean Scully, Barry Flanagan, Kathy Prendergast and Dorothy Cross featured here, as well as a film installation by Neil Jordan. The permanent exhibition also features paintings from heavy-hitters Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, and is topped up by regular temporary exhibitions. There's a good cafe and a bookshop on the grounds.

There are free guided tours of the museum's exhibits throughout the year.

Transportation

  • bus: 51, 51D, 51X, 69, 78, 79 from Aston Quay
  • tram: Heuston

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dublin attractions

1. Kilmainham Gate

0.31 MILES

Francis Johnston's impressive Georgian gate was designed in 1812 as the Richmond Tower and located on the quays, near the Guinness Brewery. It was moved…

2. Kilmainham Gaol

0.4 MILES

If you have any desire to understand Irish history – especially the long-running resistance to British colonial rule – then a visit to this former prison…

3. Wellington Monument

0.44 MILES

Near the Parkgate St entrance to Phoenix Park is the 63m-high Wellington Monument. It took from 1817 to 1861 to build, mainly because the Duke of…

4. Pearse Lyons Distillery

0.47 MILES

This boutique distillery opened in the former St James' Church in the summer of 2017, distilling small-batch, craft Irish whiskey. You have a choice of…

5. War Memorial Gardens

0.53 MILES

Hardly anyone ever ventures this far west, but they're missing a lovely bit of landscaping in the shape of the War Memorial Gardens – by our reckoning as…

6. People's Garden

0.53 MILES

The People's Garden dates from 1864 and is made up of 9 hectares of Victorian-era horticulture.

7. Guinness Storehouse

0.55 MILES

The most popular attraction in Dublin is this multimedia homage to Guinness. An old fermentation plant in the St James's Gate Brewery has been converted…

8. Bandstand

0.57 MILES

Phoenix Park's bandstand, in the Hollow near the People's Garden, was built at the end of the 19th century to give military bands a spot to showcase their…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "ireland/dublin/kilmainham-and-the-liberties/attractions/irish-museum-of-modern-art/a/poi-sig/1213871/1321738",
      "destination": "Dublin",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Ireland",
      "city": "Dublin",
      "position": "superzone"
    }