IMMA - Irish Museum of Modern Art

IMMA, the Irish Museum of Modern Art near Heuston station is very convenient, absolutely excellent and free. Apart from an impressive permanent collection there are regular novel exhibitions and installations, you will never look at humble grains of rice in quite the same way again? The building itself is impressive and one of the finest 17th century buildings in Ireland. Modeled on Les Invalides in Paris it was built by the Duke of Ormonde as a home for retired soldiers, it was restored by the Government in 1984 and opened as Ireland’s first national institution for modern art in 1991. Since then it has gone from strength to strength, attracting many visitors nationally and internationally with an ongoing program of events and art education.

There is a good café and lovely formal gardens to relax in. There are free guided tours each day but please note the museum is closed on Mondays and half day Sunday. Admission is free to the permanent collect with a small charge of €5 to temporary exhibition like the current Eileen Gray Retrospective which runs till the 19th of January 2014. A renowned artist, architect and furniture designer, Eileen Gray was born in Carlow and lived in London and France. This exhibition in fact, is a collaboration between the Pompidou Centre and IMMA so you can expect a very high standard.

10 Hidden Gems near IMMA.

1 Visit the Guinness Storehouse, no I didn’t think you needed to be asked twice, you will smell the hops before you see it.

2 Stroll through the Liberties, so called as it was a tax-free zone in medieval times and enjoy the banter of street traders on Thomas Street.

3 St Audeons Church, visit the the oldest medieval church in Ireland.

4 Learn about Viking Dublin at the Dublinia exhibition which has recently been revamped, buy a dual ticket so you can cross over the covered arch into Christchurch Cathedral.

5 But before you do treat yourself to coffee and chocolate cake in the cutest little cafe at the top of the stairs through the gift shop, not many people know about this little hidden gem at all.

5 Visit Christchurch Cathedral, dont forget to look down at the mischevious foxes on the floor tiles, see the tomb of Strongbow and visit the Treasury in the Crypt, the largest in the British Isles.

6 Stroll down the hill to have a pint in the Brazen Head one of the oldest in Dublin.

7 Or hang a right at the river Liffey and Wander up any of the side streets to wander through Temple Bar.

8 Check out the Irish Film Centre there and Meeting House square, always plenty of activity there, very busy at night and on the weekends.

9 Cross over the Liffey into the new Latin Quarter and admire the tiled fresco of the last supper which depicts the faces of real life Dubliners picked at random.

10 Walk along the Liffey Boardwalk to see Dublin from the river, but be careful, not the safest at night.

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