Journalist, author and environmental campaigner Frank McDonald dies aged 76

Frank McDonald, the journalist, author and environmental campaigner who chronicled the destruction of Dublin’s historic architecture, has died after a brief illness. He was 76.

McDonald began his journalism career with The Irish Press before joining The Irish Times in 1979. He became the newspaper’s environment correspondent in 1986 and later served as environment editor until 2015, covering climate action, architecture, urban design and planning.

His widely regarded 1985 book, “The Destruction of Dublin,” detailed how developers and planners tore down historic Georgian parts of the capital during the 1960s and 1970s instead of protecting them. His other books included “Saving the City,” “The Construction of Dublin,” “Chaos at the Crossroads,” written with James Nix, “The Builders,” written with Kathy Sheridan, and “A Little History of the Future of Dublin.”

McDonald remained active as an environmental campaigner after retiring. He was particularly critical of Airbnb’s impact on towns and cities. In his 2018 memoir, “Truly Frank,” he also wrote about growing up as a gay man in Dublin during the 1960s.

He is survived by his husband, Eamon Slater, whom he married in 2016.