Visit the Reading Room

Books in the art library. © National Gallery of Ireland. — © National Gallery of Ireland.

The Library & Archives and ESB Centre of the Study of Irish Art offer a range of services and resources to support research and engage with the collections. We specialise in art historical research and support many other connected fields of study. Our services are open to all members of the public including students, historians, artists, writers, art enthusiasts and collectors both nationally and internationally.

These research collections, including our extensive online resources, are available for consultation in The Reading Rooms and the Centre for Study of Irish Art by appointment. As our collections are held in internal storage material is requested in advance of your visit, available to browse through our online catalogue and Source, and retrieved for your appointment.

The Centre for the Study of Irish Art is located on the second floor of the Millennium Wing and The Reading Rooms are located in Rooms 35 and 36 of the Milltown Wing. We are open by appointment Monday to Friday.

For more information you can contact the Library & Archives at: [email protected]

Studying in the library reading room. © National Gallery of Ireland.

The Reading Rooms - Room 35

This reading room is dedicated to the memory of Sir Denis Mahon, an important art historian and generous benefactor to the Gallery. Room 35 is for the consultation of our special collections and archival material.

The Reading Rooms, Room 36

Our newly opened reading room in Room 36 provides access to our extensive online resources, as well as the most recently published art historical journals, key monographs on current exhibitions and important reference texts.

Centre for the Study of Irish Art

The Gallery’s extensive Irish art library and archive is available for consultation in the Centre for Study of Irish Art in the Millennium Wing of the Gallery. The CSIA comprises a variety of primary and secondary material relating to thousands of Irish artists, providing an important and unique resource for research into the visual arts in Ireland.