Timahoe

Timahoe (Irish: Tigh Mochua: 'House of Mochua')[2] is a village in County Laois, Ireland, 12 kilometres (7 mi) south of Portlaoise on the R426 regional road.

Timahoe

Tigh Mochua
Village
Approaching Timahoe from the southwest
Timahoe
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52.961°N 7.202°W / 52.961; -7.202
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyCounty Laois
Elevation
120 m (390 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Rural
569
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid ReferenceS534904

The population of Timahoe in 2002 was 517, a 2.6% increase since 1996. It increased to 527 in 2006.[3]

In 2008, a Timahoe Village Plan, to inform "any future developments which may occur within the development boundary of Timahoe", was drawn up to present to Laois County Council under the Laois County Development Plan 2006- 2012.[3]

Timahoe GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

Church, castle and round tower
Timahoe round tower
Door of 12th-century Round Tower

Saint Mochua established a monastery here in the 7th century. There are some early historical references to the site – a church was burned here in 919, while there was a murder in the doorway of another church in 1019. It was burned in 1142, and refounded by the O'Mores. There was a monastic community here as late as 1650.

The present fragmentary church has an inserted 15th-century chancel arch – now blocked up – leading to the site of the altar.

The Round Tower was built in the mid-12th century and is one of the finest in Ireland. Standing 30m high, it is near the centre of the village. The cap was rebuilt in the 19th century, but the tower is otherwise in its original condition. Its doorway, which is high off the ground and faced the doorway of the church, is elaborately decorated in the Romanesque style. It has four orders (rows of decoration receding into the doorway), two inside and two outside, separated by a narrow vaulted lobby. The capitals – the heads of the pillars of the doorway – are carved with human heads with intertwining hair.

References
  1. Census 2011 – Population Classified by Area Table 6 Population of each province, county, city, urban area, rural area and electoral division, 2006 and 2011
  2. "Tigh Mochua / Timahoe". Government of Ireland. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  3. "Timahoe - Draft Village Plan, December 2007" (PDF). Laois County Council. Retrieved 30 June 2008. Retrieved dead link with Wayback Machine, 14 October 2020
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