DAVID BYERS, who has died aged 55, was the Commissioner of Public Works in charge of State property and projects, having made a seamless transition in 2001 from his previous roles as an assistant principal architect and general manager of Dublin Castle. But then, he was a Wesley College man.
His untimely death came as a shock to friends and colleagues, inside and outside the Office of Public Works (OPW).
It followed a heart attack at a motor racing event in Wales, where he had just completed a circuit. Despite the presence of medical personnel, it proved impossible to save him.
Motor racing was one of David's passions. He was a director of Mondello Park in Co Kildare and also organised the annual motor racing in the Phoenix Park, for which - ironically - he was also overseeing the preparation of a revised conservation and management plan, partly to curtail through-traffic.
His skill as an events organiser was legendary and it was due to him that the Upper Yard of Dublin Castle was made available every summer for the Heineken music festival. Though eyebrows were raised at the very idea of having rock concerts there, it would have opened up the castle to the younger generation.
"David made an immense contribution to the OPW," said its chairman, Séan Benton. "He was inspirational, charismatic and quite outspoken - someone who could cut through bureaucracy as if it was butter. If you asked him to do something, you had to be sure you wanted it done because if you had second thoughts, it would be too late." He singled out the rationalisation of the State's property portfolio as David Byers' biggest achievement in recent years.
The OPW's disposal of sites such as the former veterinary college in Ballsbridge at the height of the property boom netted over €550 million for the exchequer - much more than the partial privatisation of Aer Lingus in 2006.
Byers was the key mover behind the disposal of a large site near Heuston Station, owned by Eircom and the OPW, which is now being developed for offices (including Eircom's new headquarters), apartments and an extension to the Irish Museum of Modern Art as well as advancing plans for the Exploration Station science museum.
He could be a demanding and difficult client, with fixed ideas about serving the public interest. According to architect Tony Reddy, who worked with him on the Heuston project, he "achieved far more by going into management than he would have as an architect", paving the way for others such as Fingal county manager David O'Connor.
He was the first architect in modern times to become a commissioner of the OPW and might well have become its chairman after Seán Benton retires. Certainly, he exemplified the "can do" attitude in advancing projects, whether it was the restoration of Castletown House or redevelopment plans for Mountjoy Prison.
David O'Connor, who was a year ahead of him at the DIT School of Architecture in Bolton Street, said he never lost the effect of his training as an architect. "He would always have that wider view as an architect-commissioner and was enormously significant, especially in turning over projects like Farmleigh House so quickly".
Mary Heffernan, general manager of Farmleigh, Castletown House and Kilkenny Castle, described Byers as a maverick who was "fired up with the idea of making these places more relevant to people's lives". And such was his enthusiasm for opening them up that he inspired great loyalty in all of those who work in historic properties.
The late commissioner, who stood 6ft 5in tall, was a familiar figure in Dublin Castle, particularly during EU summits, when he would meet and greet heads of state or government. He was also responsible for having the back of the castle painted in a vividly contrasting colour scheme. "That was pure David", as Seán Benton put it.
He also had a great interest in military history and was particularly keen to advance such projects as the installation of a 1916 museum in the GPO in Dublin, and even saw a new ceremonial space there becoming the location for future presidential inaugurations - another example of his architectural talent for "thinking outside the box".
In the late 1980s, he worked with two other senior OPW architects, Klaus Unger and Angela Rolfe, on two high-profile public projects - the conference centre in Dublin Castle and the renovation of Government Buildings in Merrion Street - the former initiated by Garret FitzGerald and the latter, more famously, by Charles Haughey.
As commissioner, Byers also had a hand in resurrecting the OPW's craft skills on projects such as Castletown, which won him firm friends in the building services and maintenance division. "He made sure that the in-house tradesmen were kept busy and organised training for young people to keep us going," said Denis Carr, head of the division.
One of his more recent triumphs was the Battle of the Boyne visitor centre at Oldbridge. He was also an avid football fan, attending most of Shamrock Rovers' home games and doggedly supporting West Ham United in the English Premier League.
He is survived by his wife Anne, their daughters Sarah and Jenna and his parents, John and Phyllis Byers.
• David Byers, born January 1953 in Newry, Co Down. Died September 6th, 2008