Patrick Rice's Page

Hi Geraldine, The past is always with us, but I have never let it beat me. I've long since lost all interest in Ireland, it took away a family I might have had and left only roots. One thing it didn't fail to do was show me hate and evil, so when I experienced true love for the first time I appreciated it like few others.

Presently I've started writing my fourth book telling the story of how I cared for my wife when she suffered with Alzheimer's. So afraid of outsiders interfering in our lives I kept control of my life and cared for her on my own at home. When I sought advice I was told that it was impossible for one person to care alone, well I proved them wrong. There came the stage where she required a doctor when she became unconscious. I was advised not to sit holding her hand over-night as 'they' tend to pass away when one goes to the toilet or for a drink. She lived a further four years and eight months. During the 11-12 year Alzheimer's journey I recorded it in video and photos. In those years I learned more about the illness than the so called experts.

Vulnerable elderly people require love, compassion and dignity, just as we were denied in our our early years (not childhood: that was taken). I remain a social misfit to this very day.

Hi Jack, There must be some miss understanding. The photos I was referring to are those of Artane on this site. Two of the photos do not tell the true story of my time there: Feb 41 to Oct 1947. The dormitories did not have nice clean sheets and for sure the refectory did not have table cloths. Those pictures were either taken long after my time or were a dress-up for public consumption.

The only photos I posses I entered in my book are of life after Ireland, in addition to some of Artane and nuns at Killkenny, which my son retrieved from the internet. I've read the God Squad and Fear of the Collar as have a number of people I know. I'm sorry like me they fail to understand the raving reviews. It must be that they had good publicist and good connections. It has cost me a deal of money to publish 'Lonestray Survivor' but I'm happy to give it away free as I've no interest in the money. The story of the cheating, lying and blackmail they used, had to be put out in the public domain. I'd love to see the reaction from the Irish authorities if it is read in Ireland.

So far I've had two special responses: one from a lady in the UK. She wrote on one site: "It's an indication of a good book when the reader is so engrossed that they don't want to put it down, and read til 2 a. m. in one night. It has been a privilege to read an amazing life story." The other response was from Canada, the wife of her late husband: rewound author Eric Nichol. She referred me to Google; 'Through A Mirror Darkly". It was a surprise to discover a review of my book by a Chris Rice, a nephew I've never met or likely to! It is possible to download the book for a little over £2.

The worse affected children from those Institutions were those who understood they had family and had bonded before they were put away. As for the ones I refer to in my book as the 'Nobodies' we knew no different life and were left emotionally barren.