Books
Books: Delayed reaction to the man whose vision for public housing transformed Dublin
Impressively researched study shows how tortured, visionary architect Herbert Simms redefined social housing in the capital, but leaves personal questions unanswered
Trying to solve a Dublin housing crisis can clearly be bad for your mental health. On September 28, 1948, Herbert Simms drove to Dun Laoghaire, drank half a bottle of whiskey and threw himself in front of a train. The Dublin Corporation housing architect left behind a suicide note in which he accused his employers of putting too much pressure on him.
“I cannot stand it any longer,” Simms wrote. “My brain is too tired ...
