Wild Geese Book Launch - February 25, 2026
- CIBCA Committee
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
On February 25, 2026 the Wild Geese Cultural Society of Bohemia launched the publication of a book by Josef Ryzec in which he documents his voyage of discovery in determining that his ancestor was indeed Irishman Walter Deveraux, who assassinated Generalissimo Wallenstein on the orders of the Emperor 392 years earlier, to the day. This publication represents the culmination of 10 years of painstaking research by Josef, assisted and supported by the Wild Geese.
The launch was introduced by His Excellency Alan Gibbons, Ambassador of Ireland to the Czech Republic, with a thoughtful speech, recorded here in its entirety -
The term 'Wild Geese' is a very evocative one for the Irish. Originally it referred to those military and their families who had fought under Patrick Sarsfield but who had to leave Ireland in the 1690s and find new homes throughout Europe. However, it became a general term applied to all who had left the emerald shore for one reason or another and included the many monks who travelled to spread knowledge throughout Europe in what was known as the Dark Ages, and the many military men and professionals dating from the Flight of the Earls after the Battle of Kinsale, 1601 down indeed to the present day.
Which brings me to the reason we are assembled here today. The Thirty Years War, which began with the Defenestration of Prague in 1618, with the first major battle in nearby Bílá hora in 1620 brought in many Irish military men who came to the aid of Hapsburg Emperor Ferdinand II.
Colonel Walter Butler, accompanied by his cousin Walter Devereux and Robert Geraldin Fitzgerald among others were prominent on the Austrian side under the overall command of Generalissimo Albrecht Wallenstein. Indeed it was the latter's intended treachery by betraying his Emperor and joining with the protestant Swedes which caused Butler and Devereux to take control of the army and despatch the treacherous generalissimo. Walter Devereux is credited with delivering the fatal blow to the traitor and the museum in Cheb has maintained the scene of the crime to this day, with Wallenstein's bedroom, with four poster bed, with a bloodied nightshirt hanging from the ceiling alongside a lethal-looking pike!
As Josef grew up he learned of a long-standing history in his family that they were descended from an Irish soldier. Little was known as to the name of this soldier, or indeed when he had come to the Czech lands so Josef had a totally unknown landscape to explore. His extensive research over the years reads like a fascinating detective story as he follows up one lead after another until he reaches a definitive conclusion. Along the way he notes the help he received from a former Irish Ambassador, Alison Kelly, Micheál O'Huiginn, President of Ireland and even Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.
It is a remarkable work and one that opens up so many other avenues to explore. I am glad that the Irish Embassy, and the Wild Geese Historical Society, has had the opportunity to help Josef in his endeavours and now I would like to introduce the man himself, Josef Ryzec!
Josef Ryzec in his turn responded as follows -
Winston Churchill is said to have once made the following remark after one of his speeches: "When I sat in my chair before my speech, I did not know what to say, and when I sat down again, I did not know what I had said". That is how I felt when I sat in my chair listening to the opening speech of His Excellency, the Irish Ambassador, Mr. Alan Gibbons, at the opening of my book. It was nice, I felt honoured, but I had no idea what I should say after my subsequent thanks, beyond what was already in the published book... So you understand what I mean: the search for my hitherto mysterious ancestor was of course purely personal, and for it to have any meaning, I had to try to be as impersonal as possible. That itself was not entirely easy, but the result of that search was for me, in a way, a confirmation of the difficult-to-explain feeling that I had many years ago in Ireland in 1999, on the sacred hill of Tara, when I was leaning against the boulder standing on the top - THE RETURN OF THE LOST SON. You can see a photo of it at the end of the book. It was like this: in 1999, we were with an exhibition of our Celtic art association LUGH in the premises of the Ministry of Culture of the then Minister Síle de Valera in Dublin, and our then ambassador to Ireland, Mr. Petr Kolář, arranged for my wife Ivana and me to see important memorable places in the wider Dublin area. On that occasion, my wife took a picture of me on the top of Tara. In the legendary Glendalough among the remains of the former monastery of St. Kevin, I felt almost at home again, as if I had been here once before...
I have loved Ireland since I was a child, and it is certainly influenced by our family legend about an Irish soldier who stayed in Bohemia after the 30 Years' War and became our ancestor, as I mention in the book... which probably would not have come into being at all if it were not for the patient insistence of my Irish friend Seán O' Sullivan that I finally write it all down. And who finally decided to publish my research with the help of my Irish friends from the Wild Geese Historical Society of Czechia. In conclusion, I would like to express my immense gratitude to Seán and the Wild Geese for all this. I would also like to express my great gratitude to His Excellency, Mr. Alan Gibbons and all the members of the Irish Embassy for their kind Irish, let's say Celtic, patronage over the publication of my book, along with the creation of a friendly atmosphere at its opening ceremony.
Searching for My Irish-Norman Ancestor is available in either English or Czech from the Wild Geese. Contact them at info@wildgeese.cz.
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