The new gallery in Dublin will become the public face of the retreat, staging exhibitions and helping to create revenue for the project which, since it opened in 1991, has played host to 1,500 Irish and international artists . . .

the chosen few from a staggering 50,000 applications.

Urban Retreat was selected by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) as one of the first permanent arts initiatives for the docklands area.

Crucially, it will pay a non-commercial rent on a 25-year lease, with a year's free rent. The gallery is housed in a unit of a new building on Hanover Quay, an area which resembles a building site more than a vibrant cultural, commercial and residential area.

But this is sure to change over time: the adjacent Grand Canal Square, designed by US landscape architect Martha Schwartz, is under construction; the completion of Daniel Libeskind's Grand Canal Theatre is scheduled for 2008, when construction of the 100m U2 Tower will begin; and the new Abbey Theatre will be located at Custom House Docks nearby.

A key aspect of Urban Retreat is the role it will play in the regeneration of the area. It is part of the DDDA's strategy to create a sense of community through the integration of cultural activities.

"One of the commitments we have made to the DDDA is linking a regeneration project in the furthest outreach of Ireland with the regeneration of the capital city, " says Campbell-Sharp.

"What we will do is increase our residency awards to artists in this area, nurture them in Cill Rialaig and let them re-emerge with solo shows here in Dublin."

The inaugural exhibition is The World is Blue Like an Orange by Martin Finnin, a young Limerick artist whose colourful, semiabstract paintings are attracting a great deal of interest.

However, most of the exhibitions will showcase lesserknown, emerging artists who have had residencies at Cill Rialaig.

"It's going to give a unique opportunity to those bright young talents to have their first solo show in Dublin, " CampbellSharpe explains. "All of the commission will go back into maintaining the Cill Rialaig project . . . there's an awful lot of work that still needs to be done."

The crumbling cottages of Cill Rialaig village on Bolus Head had been abandoned for some 50 years when Campbell-Sharp realised their potential for regeneration. The small homes have now been renovated into studios and living spaces for artists, writers and composers, who are invited to stay free of charge . . . a key aspect of the project. However, this policy necessitates continuous funding to ensure survival.

Revenue from the Arts Council, of which Campbell-Sharp is a member, has been comparatively small, so Cill Rialaig relies heavily on private sponsorship, as well as the sale of artworks donated by visiting artists. "To have a 12month outlet in Dublin is incredible; it's something I've been longing for for Cill Rialaig. In fact, I'd like it to be the final part of my legacy as the founder of the project . . . that when I'm dead and gone there'd be stream of revenue coming back to maintain the ethos of the village."

Help in the design and fit-out of Urban Retreat was provided free of charge by Sisk and Douglas Wallace architects.

Indeed, Campbell-Sharp seems to possess a unique talent for getting private sponsors on board to support cultural enterprises. And what better place for such partnerships than the docklands . . . Ireland's financial heart?

"There's been a lot of bad press for the celtic tigers . . . that they have no soul . . . but a lot of the celtic tigers have helped us. If we didn't have patrons here in Dublin, we couldn't have done what we've done, " she says. "In America everybody wants to be involved in the arts and every major businessman, if he hasn't got some arts project, he's no good.

"In Ireland, they're beginning to not simply think about it as buying art, but also to invest in young people, like Renaissance times. Our merchant princes are only beginning to grow up, but I think they will invest heavily in the arts in future."

Urban Retreat, South Block, HQ Building, Hanover Quay, Dublin 2; Tel: (01)4785159