Hugh Lane Gallery has an exceptional history centred around the ground-breaking vision of Sir Hugh Lane himself, who gathered an exceptional collection of modern art, including the first impressionist paintings in a public collection in Britain and Ireland. The collection was donated to Dublin City in 1908, and the Gallery has since built on this exceptional foundation and spirit, focusing on international and Irish modern and contemporary art.
Notable highlights of the collection include Francis Bacon’s studio and archive, the Sean Scully Gallery and the Harry Clarke stained glass room. Through its dynamic and critically acclaimed Exhibition and Education programmes and world-renowned collections, the Gallery plays a very significant cultural role in Ireland.