Sir, - From the picture in today's Irish Times (October 31st) of the southern facade of Collins' Barracks, we Irish still seem to be unable to appreciate beautiful architecture. All we seem to be able to do is to vandalise the good with the appalling. Three examples immediately spring to mind. One, the frightful ESB building on Fitzwilliam Street; two, the Central Bank building on Dame Street and finally, the even worse city government complex between the quays and Christchurch.
How long will it take us, the Irish, to come to terms with our failed sense of values and endeavour to make redundant the cliche: "you may be able to take the man out of the bog, but you cannot take the bog out of the man"? - Yours, etc.,
19 Molesworth Street,
Dublin 2.