Binding: Paperback
Date Published: 01 Oct 2026
'If you read one book on Irish housing, make it Brittle - Lyons understands this crisis better than anyone' DAVID McWILLIAMS
'Magnificent... the most insightful and comprehensive thing I've ever read on housing' JOHN BURN-MURDOCH
Just under half of Irish adults under 40 are living with their parents or in shared accommodation - and almost all of those would rather be living by themselves or with a partner but can't.
The housing crisis is often spoken of as a bubble, but economics professor Ronan Lyons argues that this metaphor is outdated. Rather, Ireland suffers from a brittle housing system, one that has lost the ability to respond to change.
This groundbreaking book shows what that brittleness is doing to society, how it emerged and, most critically, how a healthier housing system can be built.