The following information comes from Brendan M Ramsbottom.

Ballickmoyler Square and surgery.

The Ransbottom's lived in one of the white houses in the photo.

My grandfather Michael Ransbottom was born in Killeen Co Laois on 29 Feb 1880 and my grandmother Elizabeth Murphy was born at Old Leigh, Ballickmoyler Co Laois on 2 Nov 1885  They were married in 1908 according to the 1911 Census of Ireland.

The birth dates for all of the Michael & Elizabeth’s twelve children:

Mollie (Mary) 1909, (1911 Census reads 18mths old) http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003161659/

Babs (Elizabeth) 1911 (1911 Census reads 2mths old)http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003161659/

Jimmy b.1912,

Kathleen b.1913,

Michael b.1915,

Patrick b.1917,

Tommy b.1918,

George b.1919,

Sidney b.1923,

Joe b.1925,

Nellie b.1926,

Peggie b.1928.

It's Nellie and Peggie who are still with us. My grandmother had four other children who died in infancy possibly between George and Sidney.

I know a fair bit about the Ramsbottoms of Ballickmoyler. Jimmy Ran has a portrait hanging in the village pub just by the bar where he used to sit. He could be a very contrary auld man.

His father and mother were Elizabeth (nee Murphy) and Michael Ransbottom. They lived in the surgery next to the vicar's house in Ballickmoyler Square, and had eleven children who all survived: Patrick (my father), Joseph, Sydney, Jimmy, Michael, Tommy, George, Kathleen, Peggie, Molly and Babs. Nellie and Peggie are still alive. Peggie lives in Swindon and Nellie up the road from Ballickmoyler.

Here's an interesting snippet. Their mother was a great healer and people came to her from miles around for her cures. She knew every herb, flower and could name whatever grew and could be used in remedies. She was also a bit of a bone setter. My dad met a guy home from the states in the 1930's who told him that as young man he'd had an accident with some farm machinery and almost lost his leg, the doctor was away delivering a baby and my grandmother repaired and set the leg. He had travelled back to say thanks to her.

In the 1950's (probably '56) Éamon De Valera visited Saint Patrick's school in Manchester and was introduced to the senior girls. On meeting my sister Patsy he paused and asked where did her daddy come from, he then asked if her grandmother was named Elizabeth, and finally he asked Patsy to remember him to her next time she saw granny - it seems that after his break from prison in England and before Collins smuggled him off to the states he was on the run rarely sleeping in one house for more than a night. Granny, it seems, had put him up during that period for a night or two! A little bit of history!

Granny was a powerful lady. She ran dad from the house for lighting a cigarette by the fire. He would have been in his late forties at the time!  She learned to ride a bicycle at the age of 60 so that she could cycle to pick up her pension. She continued to cycle right up to the year she died in her 80s.

Hope you find some of this interesting. I'd dearly love to know more about the history of the Rans. They were known as the Rans because of the poem "The Wren" which they all used to recite. I suspect they entered Ireland around the time of the reformation or later to avoid religious persecution. I know the name is quite common in and around Carlow and Laois. Two other names cropped up, my grandmothers maiden name was Murphy (must be one of the most common names in Ireland, one of the great tribe names) and Hennessy, her mother's maiden name.

Jimmy Ransbottom was more likely to be seen with one of the twin brothers, Tom or Jim Horohan.

The three photos (above) were taken in the square at Ballickmoyler. Behind the photographer in the centre there was an old hand pump that's still there or was the last time I visited the village.

Source: Brendan  brammy@tiscali.co.uk c10/2006

Note from Michael Brennan: Lily Brennan was my mother and Markie Brennan was my uncle, Lily's brother.