National Gallery of Ireland

The National Gallery of Ireland first opened its doors to the public in January 1864. Today the collection includes over 2,500 paintings and some 10,000 other works in different media including watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture.
We had a chat with Sarah Montague, a Tour Guide at the National Gallery of Ireland, to discover a little more about her interests and her role at the gallery...What do you love most about your work? I love being able to share some of the fascinating stories behind the paintings and the artists. People are always amazed at the difference it makes having someone there to guide them through the Gallery’s collection, and even if they thought that they weren’t very interested in art, they become really intrigued and are asking lots of questions. It’s great to see how people can still be moved by paintings that are, in some cases, hundreds of years old.

What’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to you in work?

It’s always exciting when there’s a celebrity in the Gallery. Angelica Huston was here before, and even Robert de Niro. But probably the most interesting was when Louis le Brocquy came in, as he’s one of the most well-known living artists in the country, so he has legendary status!
Have you always been interested in this type of role?
I have always been interested in the history of art, but I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to work in such an interactive role, which I really enjoy.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
Saoirse Ronan.
If you could be an artist (from any era), who would you be and why?
I think I would choose Mainie Jellett, because she is an important female Irish artist. She was one of the first Irish artists to display an abstract painting when she exhibited ‘Decoration’ in Dublin in 1923. She really pushed the boundaries for Irish art, so I admire her determination.
What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you in work?
Well, I must say that we sometimes get some pretty strange responses from the younger school children, who come in on class trips to the Gallery. They come up with weird and wonderful stories about what the painting is about, or what they can see in it. It’s brilliant!
What cheers you up when you’re having a tough day in work?
When you see kids coming into the Gallery, and even before they’ve seen any paintings they are so excited about how big the building is, or they see a painting they recognise from class and their faces light up.
When you were a child did you always dream of being a Tour Guide?
I remember going to the National Gallery in London on a class trip when I was in primary school and being fascinated by the stories the tour guide was telling us. I don’t think I expected then that it would be me some day giving the tours!
If you weren’t a Tour Guide what would you be?
I would probably be working in a more office based job, but then I would be missing out on the great stories!
Visit the National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square West, Dublin 2.