JANUARY BROUGHT COLD weather and the British Prime Minister’s announcement of the Military Service Act introducing conscription for all single men between eighteen and forty-one years of age in Great Britain.
‘Thank heaven that Ireland is not included,’ sighed Nellie, who suspected that her employment bureau would be inundated with Irish men returning from England. She was greatly relieved that her artist brother, Gabriel, had made the wise decision a few weeks ago to escape the war by leaving London and sailing to America.
Unfortunately, she and Marie could no longer use the upstairs room in Countess Markievicz’s building, but MacDonagh, hearing of their plight, arranged for them to have space for a small office in the Volunteers’ headquarters in Dawson Street. Nellie was filled with gratitude for her brother-in-law’s kindness.
Asquith’s announcement of conscription triggered an immediate exodus from Britain of young Irish men returning home, many coming to the Bureau for assistance. They urgently needed to find both employment and accommodation. A few were already members of the Volunteers and many others were now prepared to join.
The bureau was busy but she and Marie dealt with each man’s situation discreetly, James Connolly helping as much as he could to find jobs for them on the docks or in warehouses or factories. Joe and the Plunkett family had generously offered to help too and had agreed that some of the men could stay in Larkfield, their home in Kimmage. The Volunteers already used the place for training. Set in acres of land, with outhouses, large barn, bakery and mill, it was ideal and provided much-needed accommodation for those anxious to avoid conscription.
Joe called into Nellie’s office.
‘Joe, we are very grateful to you and your family for helping the men,’ Nellie thanked him. ‘It’s a relief to know that we have somewhere for those coming from Liverpool and London to stay if they need it.’
‘The men are welcome,’ he nodded modestly. ‘Some of them have started our own unit of the Volunteers.’
‘No finer fellows,’ she smiled.
‘Nellie, if by any chance you come across a chap looking for work who is a bookkeeper and well able for accounts, I could do with him,’ he sighed, cleaning his glasses. ‘The accounts are in a state. Mother has gone off travelling and I’m stuck with all her ledgers and figures and trying to keep track of things, while Geraldine is at the end of her tether with so much to do, so we need to find someone.’
Nellie knew that the Plunketts owned property and collected rent all over Dublin; they were rumoured to have built many of the finest houses in Rathgar, Rathmines and Donnybrook.
‘I have some important business of my own I must attend to and don’t have the time for it,’ he went on. ‘If we could find someone to help out a few days a week it would be ideal.’
‘I’ll see what I can do,’ she promised.
A few days later she was interviewing a young man from west Cork named Michael Collins. He had just crossed from London, where he had been a very active member of No. 1 Company of the Irish Volunteers. Both his parents were dead and he told her that he was keen to find work. He was twenty-six, with an excellent head for figures. On moving to London he had worked in the Post Office Savings Bank in Kensington, then for a stockbroker and for the Board of Trade; lately he’d been employed in the Guaranty Trust Company of New York’s London office. He’d done his civil service exams and was well used to double-entry systems and balance sheets.
In her opinion, the young man from Clonakilty seemed extremely bright and capable, a likely bookkeeper for the Plunkett family. Nellie contacted Joe immediately. He returned to the Bureau where Nellie introduced them and the two men seemed to get on very well. They were soon deep in conversation, ranging from the Gaelic League and the influence of Arthur Griffith to plays Collins had attended on the London stage. Nellie smiled as she watched them walk out to Joe’s car together.
The interview was successful as Michael Collins was employed by Count and Countess Plunkett and Joe to work a few days a week at Larkfield managing their financial affairs, while the rest of the time he spent working in the nearby offices of an accountancy firm.
Nellie was pleased that her employment bureau had managed to find him work and Grace soon told her that Mick Collins was proving invaluable to Joe, and also that he had become immediately involved with helping to run Larkfield’s local Volunteer group.