Pat puts legs on legend of Dingle’s knavish Count
THE legend of Dingle’s Count James Louis Rice, who set out to save Queen Marie Antoinette from the guillotine, is brought to life in full in a new biography by local historian Pat Neligan, which will be published this Sunday, April 30, as part of Féile na Bealtaine.
“Every child in Dingle grows up with the story of how Count Rice planned to rescue Marie Antoinette and bring her to safety in Dingle,” Pat told The Kerryman, “so I decided to try and establish the historical reality of the man and his times.” Pat discovered that the historical facts of the story were even more remarkable than the myth, inspiring the book’s title, The Knave of Trumps: The Life & Times of Count James Louis Rice. Behind the heroic legend lay a man who rubbed shoulders with the great aristocrats of his day, whose skill as a swordsman and duellist was notorious, and whose passion for money and gambling brought him into conflict with authority in several countries across Europe.
The former schoolteacher, who taught history to a generation of young people in his native town until his retirement in 2006, spent over three years researching Count Rice’s life. The work saw him trawl through records in England, France, Belgium and Spain, uncovering the activities of this Dingle-born count of the Austrian Empire.
“James Louis Rice was one of the Irish ‘Wild Geese’,” Pat explains, “who set sail for Europe to seek their fortune. There were many more – O’Connells of Derrynane, Trants of Ventry, Ferrises and Conways of Killarney – who rose high in the ranks of the military or grew wealthy through business and commerce, and of course formed an Irish network abroad. They also kept up their links with home.”
As revolution swept across the continent in the late 1700s, Count Rice also played a part in a number of dangerous political intrigues, some of which involved friends and family from his native Kerry. His life was in constant danger. As a contemporary who knew him remarked, “All countries where Count Rice will go should fear for their tranquillity. He is a man of grand adventures.”
This remarkable historical tale, edited by Peter Malone in Dingle, designed in Tralee by Peadar Staunton and printed in Castleisland, is an entirely Kerry made production and available in bookshops and through jameslouisrice.com. The proud author is pleased to invite everyone to the launch by former senator Joe O’Toole in Benners Hotel, Dingle, at 5 pm this Sunday.