The National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin was founded in 1854, but was opened to the public only 10 years later and with only 112 paintings. The collection began to grow rapidly when the gallery in 1866 received an annual grant of £1,000 to purchase works of art. In 1897, the Countess of Milltown donated about 200 paintings to the museum, for which a separate wing was attached to the gallery building. Part of the property was transferred to the gallery under the will of the British writer Bernard Shaw. Today, the gallery has over 15 thousand paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures by many famous authors. The gallery is also an educational center, which has developed a series of developmental and educational programs for children, master classes are held for students - future art critics and for art lovers. The gallery has a specialized shop and a cafe with classic Gaelic dishes.