When I give my Dublin tours, galleries are some of my favorite places to bring visitors. The big ones like the National Gallery get mentions in guidebooks, but some of the little galleries don’t get as much publicity. In fact, it occurred to me that a lot of my friends (and husband!) haven’t made it to a few of the best Dublin galleries. So here’s a mini round-up of my four favorite free galleries that always, always make me happy.

Royal Hibernian Academy

The Royal Hibernian Academy is one of my favorite galleries in Dublin. And the fact that Coppa is located at its entrance is only part of the reason why it’s my favorite. Each summer, the RHA holds its annual exhibit of submissions from Irish artists, which is really worth making a trip to see. The walls are packed with work from Irish artists, both up and coming and well known. The curator, Ruth Carroll, uses every inch of space to show as much great Irish artwork as she can, and the exhibit runs for a few months.

The rest of the year, the RHA has a variety of different exhibits that run for a few weeks each. At the moment, there is a great exhibit by Richard Mosse that includes his psychedelic photographs and video installation from his time in the Republic of Congo. There’s also a hilarious exhibit in their commercial gallery that involves taxidermied birds in that photo above!

15 Ely Place, Dublin 2, Ireland

Centre for Creative Practices

You might remember The Centre for Creative Practices from my 30th birthday party late last year. Michael discovered it for me when I was at my wit’s end looking for the perfect venue. Well, not only was it the perfect venue for my birthday party, it’s also just a darn interesting place to visit. At the moment, they have an exhibit on called Love Letters, which is a curated selection of love letters submitted to the gallery before Valentine’s Day. It’s really, really lovely. They also host workshops, concerts and gigs, along with exhibits from emerging and immigrant artists. It’s a really inspiring place run by talented and visionary people.

15 Pembroke Street Lower, Dublin 2

The Kerlin Gallery

The Kerlin Gallery is hidden away just off busy Grafton Street and it’s a really calming space that’s always filled with contemporary art. It’s small and minimalistic and such a contrast to the hubbub that goes on outside the door. Right now, the Kerlin Gallery has an exhibit running with photography works from Willie Doherty called Remains, that focuses on post-conflict settings in Northern Ireland.

Anne’s Lane, South Anne Street, Dublin 2

The Cross Gallery

Now we zip across town to Dublin 8, to The Cross Gallery, a tiny contemporary art gallery on a bustling old street in Dublin’s Liberties district. The Cross Gallery also has an adorable cafe with a view of the street. Francis Street has tons of antique shops and second hand stores, so while the gallery itself won’t take you long to browse through, it’s well worth a jaunt across town.

59 Francis St, Dublin 8

If You’re Visiting:

It must be the time of year for people to plan trips to Dublin because I’ve been getting a big spike in emails asking for tips for visiting Dublin. I thought I’d start adding in a few tips for visitors planning their trips to try out the places I love in my adopted city.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from readers is where to stay in Dublin. And here’s my humble answer: stay in the city centre. Dublin is a very walkable city, but the public transportation is just plain slower than a lot of bigger cities. So if you’re staying even a few miles outside of the city, the time you spend taking the bus or Dart (train) into and out of the city can really eat up your time here. So you’ll want to look for a hotel in Dublin 1, Dublin 2, or Dublin 4 post codes. They’re the closest to the city centre so you can maximize your time in this lovely place!

I have a few personal favorites – the Fitzwilliam Hotel, the Ariel House, and the Pembroke Townhouse are always safe bets – all three are lovely and affordable. There are, of course, so many more wonderful hotels and B&B’s and I’ll try to share them with you in the coming months!

I love seeing patterns in the things I’m pinning on Pinterest, don’t you? This bunch of my recent pins screams that I’m so ready for spring! They’re all white and bright with hints of green and turquoise. And one bonus photo of reality to keep us grounded!

Living Room

Chloe Dress

Nook  

Eggs 

Cliffs of Moher, keeping it real – this is what we really have going on in Dublin at the moment!

I should have written this post for you last week, so you could have placed an order for these sweet Claddagh rings in time for Valentine’s Day. But these are, of course, a sweet gift idea for any time of the year: laser cut wooden Claddagh rings from Snow Design.

Claddagh rings are traditional Irish rings, first designed in a the small town of Claddagh, near Galway. They’re often given to represent friendship, love and loyalty and so many people wear them over here. If you wear a Claddagh ring one way, it also signifies that you’re taken, and the other way signifies you’re still looking for love.

These laser cut wooden Claddagh rings are much more my style than the traditional look and I love how the little heart sparkles! You can order one yourself from the Snow website, and they’re so affordable – only €6 each!

Here are a few completely unflattering photos of me modeling the Claddagh rings. It’s been so long since my skin has seen the sun my hands are starting to looking a little blue! 

DIY Thursday has been postponed until tomorrow, for the same reason that these photos are not the most flattering. I couldn’t wrangle a photographer and this DIY project needed some modeling! It’ll be extra-festive tomorrow!

This is Michael and I after number 4! I looked and looked, but I have no other photos of any of these restaurants from our romantic evenings, which is probably a good sign that I was actually enjoying them!

Since it’s a week of romance ahead of Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fun to talk about romantic restaurants in Dublin. When you’re planning a romantic meal out, which Michael and I do every so often, it can be hard to get the right balance. You want something just right to encourage romantic chats over a nice meal. Over the last few years Michael and I have come up with a shortlist we know will deliver just the right evening for us. So without further ado, here are four tried and tested options for a romantic meal in Dublin.

1. The Winding Stair – Without a doubt, the Winding Stair is my favorite spot for reliably good food, cosy atmosphere, and great service. And this may seem strange, but over the years I’ve realized reliability in each of those categories is exactly what makes up a romantic evening. The menu is exciting but not intimidating, you can feel relaxed and comfortable but still a little fancy, and it’s always buzzy without being overwhelming.

2. Chapter One – Now, Chapter One is a place for a celebration. If I were doing any proposing, Chapter One is not where I would actually pop the question, because it isn’t the kind of place where you’d want a lot of screaming and crying and calling your mom. But it is exactly the kind of fancy place that’s perfect for celebrating an engagement or a birthday with a big round number at the end. If you go, please, please order the Irish coffee. Michael and I have never had a better Irish coffee – it’s flambéed table side!

3. The Port House – The Port House is lit almost completely by candle light that bounces off exposed stone walls, and the menu is authentic Spanish tapas. A winning combination that means it’s great for an evening of intimate chats over delicious a few glasses of rioja. Michael swears by the red wine chorizo and I love their cheese board with honey and quince paste. The other thing is that the food comes out fast, which is sometimes good because growling bellies really stand in the way of romance. Here’s an insider tip: if the Port House is too packed to get a table, walk five minutes to their sister restaurant, Bar Pinxto. Somehow we can always get a table there!

4. The Exchecquer – I have to admit, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a full meal at the Exchecquer. However, I have had many chocolate platters there for dessert in the last few months, so I can heartily recommend it as a place to stop for dessert if you want something totally delicious. The chocolate platter at the Exchecquer is not for the faint of heart, and it only works if you share. I could eat chocolate for every meal of my life and yet I still don’t think I could get through a chocolate platter on my own!

So, what are your favorite romantic restaurants in Dublin? I always appreciate recommendations! I’ve heard Chameleon is great for a romantic meal, any thoughts?