Thank you, Queen Elizabeth, says ISABEL MORTON

IN the week that’s in it, as we welcome Queen Elizabeth II to our country, we are reminded of how closely our countries are connected.

Apart from our obvious economic links, Britain being our largest trading partner, according to statistics, Ireland has been the largest source of immigrants to Britain over the past 200 years. Approximately six million people living in the United Kingdom are estimated to have, at least one, Irish grandparent.

Indeed, of late, the connections have become particularly evident, as every second Irish person I meet, appears to be working from their “London office”.

Overnight, these “offshore” offices have sprung up like inflatable lifeboats, to save property people from drowning in the deep sea of Irish economic inactivity.

Desperate to find work, many of those connected with the property business, from labourers to estate agents, are looking to our near neighbour for salvation.

When the recession hit, construction workers, accustomed to having to up-sticks and travel, were quicker off the mark to leave in search of a job in Britain than many of the professionals. The latter, frequently tied down by property debts, were unable to lift anchor with the same ease.

Despite reducing fees, staff and expenses, many architects and engineers tried other survival tactics, such as relocating their design offices to their homes, and spending time, effort and money training and registering as Building Energy Rating inspectors, only to find that there were far more inspectors than there were jobs.

Glamorous and dynamic as flitting back and forth to the UK may appear, the reality is often different. Terminal 2 at Dublin airport is now the gateway for exhausted Irish commuters, travelling to and fro in a desperate attempt to keep the show on the road at home.

“Obviously it’s not ideal, I’m away from my family from early Monday morning to late Friday evening and in order to ensure I keep my job, I’m putting in very long hours,” one architect explains. “If it weren’t for Skype, I don’t know how I’d cope, as at least it enables me to join my husband and children every evening, via the laptop on their kitchen table.”

Her husband, also an architect, has been unemployed for almost two years and admits there are times when he finds it hard to deal with the changes they’ve had to make.

“We had no choice. We agreed that we would accept whatever job was offered, regardless of which one of us it was or where it was located. We’ve a large mortgage to pay and two children to consider, and decided not to move them to London because it would disrupt their schooling and anyway, it worked out cheaper to stay here. My wife rents a tiny studio flat near her office, which she hates but she’s rarely there, except to sleep.”

Historically, when times were bad, we have relied on the UK to provide employment for generations of Irish citizens, particularly those involved in the construction industry.

Once again, a new generation of young people has emigrated in search of jobs. As one woman explains: “I have three lads in building construction and they’re all happy to be working in England. My own father and brothers all worked over there and sent money home. I’ve loads of relations in Manchester and in London; it’s home from home for our family.”

Liza-Jane Kelly, sales director with London estate agents Marsh Parsons, (part of the Sherry Fitzgerald group) agrees that it is indeed “home from home” for Irish people, who are always made feel very welcome by the London property industry.

“The Irish are go-getter types with great personalities, they’re well educated, drive on the same side of the road and speak English, so it’s all so much easier for them than other nationalities. I notice a phenomenal difference in the numbers of Irish people in London, particularly in the last six months. Senior negotiators from all of the top Irish estate agents have arrived and had to familiarise themselves with property knowledge of the area, the streets, the tubes, council tax, and leasehold and freehold issues. But they learn fast and they climb the ladder again very quickly.”

Kelly tells a heart-warming story about how she recently came across an Irish woman working in a London shop who, despite being having a good degree, had been unable to get a job in Ireland. “On each occasion I shopped there, she was helpful, charming and very professional, so I just had to offer her a job, and I’m pleased to say that she’ll be starting with Marsh Parsons very soon,” she says.

So, perhaps we should give Queen Elizabeth a smile, a wave and a big thank-you, as we are entrusting to her the care of so many of our bright, young citizens. Let’s hope they’ll make it home to work here again.

Isabel Morton is a property consultant