The National Gallery of Ireland houses many pieces of Irish art and European masterpieces. Visitors can enjoy the many guided tours, picture clinics, Fine Arts Library, and much more. The Yeats Archive and Fine Arts Library both offer plenty of literature for the interested patron. The Diego Print Room (open Tuesday through Friday) holds the galleries collections of prints and drawings. Those interested in researching Irish or European art might find the ESB Center for the Study of Irish Art to be the most beneficial for their endeavors. The gallery also boasts a beautiful multimedia room which is a virtual reality gallery! There are also souvenir shops and a Gallery Restaurant for guests. The gallery also offers much in the way of art education. Many classes, studios, and lectures are held to help promote European art and the gallery itself.

The paintings in the gallery span from the fourteenth to the twentieth century. The collection boasts pieces from all of the major Continental Schools. The Italian, French, Dutch, and British collections are among their most numerous and prestigious. Besides paintings, The National Gallery of Ireland also houses many sculptures from between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The largest collection is Irish portrait busts. There is also a small collection of "objects of art" from the nineteenth and twentieth century. A collection of beautiful artwork on paper (sketches, oils, pastels, and watercolor) and prints are housed in the gallery and are a great attraction.