The National Gallery of Ireland re-opens after €30m refurbishment

The National Gallery of Ireland has fully re-opened it’s doors to the public following a €30 million refurbishment of the gallery today.

The National Gallery of Ireland has fully re-opened it’s doors to the public following a €3m refurbishment of the gallery today.

The project, which took six years, saw the historic wings preserved and installed with modern services.

It is hoped that the gallery, which is the country's top free tourist attraction, will now be able to welcome even more visitors.

Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, Seán Rainbird, outlined some of the work they have done.

"What we've done is made a master plan and that master plan involves introducing the technical services like air handling and climate control,” he said.

“All of the pictures are being freshened up, all of the walls are being freshened up. The whole decorative element looks fantastic now."

He said that the lost space between the Dargan and Milltown wings which was not visible to the public, has now been made into a courtyard which is a “fantastic addition to the gallery.”