View source for Timahoe

{{Short description|Village in County Laois, Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                   = Timahoe
|native_name            = {{lang|ga|Tigh Mochua}}
|native_name_lang       = ga
|settlement_type        = Village
|image_skyline          = Timahoe.JPG
|image_caption          = Approaching Timahoe from the southwest
|pushpin_map            = Ireland
|pushpin_label_position = right
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location in Ireland
|coordinates            = {{coord|52.961|-7.202|dim:100000_region:IE|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type       = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name       = [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
|subdivision_type1      = [[Provinces of Ireland|Province]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Leinster]]
|subdivision_type3      = [[Counties of Ireland|County]]
|subdivision_name3      = [[County Laois]]
|unit_pref              = Metric
|elevation_m            = 120
|population_as_of       = 2011
|population_rural       = 569
|population_footnotes   = <ref>[http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/documents/census2011vol1andprofile1/Table,6.pdf Census 2011 – Population Classified by Area Table 6 Population of each province, county, city, urban area, rural area and electoral division, 2006 and 2011]</ref>
|timezone1              = [[West European Time|WET]]
|utc_offset1            = +0
|timezone1_DST          = [[Irish Standard Time|IST]] ([[Western European Summer Time|WEST]])
|utc_offset1_DST        = -1
|blank_name             = [[Irish grid reference system|Irish Grid Reference]]
|blank_info             = {{iem4ibx|S534904}}
}}'''Timahoe''' ({{Irish place name|Tigh Mochua}}: 'House of Mochua')<ref name=logainm>{{cite web|title=Tigh Mochua / Timahoe|url=http://www.logainm.ie/28116.aspx|publisher=Government of Ireland|access-date=9 July 2011}}</ref> is a village in [[County Laois]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], {{convert|12|km|mi|0}} south of [[Portlaoise]] on the [[R426 road|R426]] [[Regional road (Ireland)|regional road]].
The population of Timahoe in 2002 was 517, a 2.6% increase since 1996. It increased to 527 in 2006.<ref name=TVP>{{cite web | title=Timahoe - Draft Village Plan, December 2007 | work=Laois County Council  | url=http://www.laois.ie/media/Media,4021,en.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171755/http://www.laois.ie/media/Media,4021,en.pdf | access-date=30 June 2008| archive-date=3 March 2016 }} Retrieved dead link with [[Wayback Machine]], 14 October 2020</ref> The 2021 population was recorded as 569. The population over the years has only very slightly increased.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Population of Timahoe 2021 — Ireland|url=https://www.aznations.com/population/ie/cities/timahoe|access-date=2021-12-06|website=www.aznations.com}}</ref>
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''. This plan looked at aspects such as land use zoning, social infrastructure, community facilities and physical infrastructure. The objective of the plan was to provide a development plan for the village to service the area over a 6-year period and to enhance the character of the village.<ref name="TVP" />
== History ==
The village of Timahoe received its name from [[Saint Mochua]] who founded a monastery in the location which was also named after him - Teach Mo Chua.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Corlett|first=Chris|date=2018|title=Heritage Guide No. 83: TEACH MO CHUA—AN EARLY ECCLESIASTICAL SITE AT TIMAHOE, CO. LAOIS|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26565840|journal=Archaeology Ireland|jstor=26565840 |issn=0790-892X}}</ref> Timahoe was built as an estate town by the Cosby family of [[Stradbally Hall]]. Originally planned to be built in the form of six-sided star with the ruins and circular market house as the focal points, it was not realised in this manner.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Darley|first=Gillian|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1921555|title=Villages of vision|date=1975|publisher=Architectural Press|isbn=0-85139-705-0|location=London|pages=148|oclc=1921555}}</ref>
==Church, castle and round tower==
[[Image:TimahoeRoundTower3.JPG|thumb|left|150px|Timahoe round tower]]
[[Image:TimahoeRoundTowerDoor.JPG|thumb|Door of 12th-century Round Tower]]
[[Cronan Mochua|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.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
The present fragmentary church has an inserted 15th-century chancel arch – now blocked up – leading to the site of the altar.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} The church resembled a sizeable rectangular building with a door facing west and a window to the east. Both cannot be identified in present day as only remains of the church are left.<ref name=":0" />
The [[Irish round tower|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. The round tower is one of the best surviving of its kind in Ireland. It is made of both [[limestone]] and [[sandstone]] rock. Its doorway, which is high off the ground and faced the doorway of the church, is elaborately decorated in the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque style]]. The bottom of the doorway on the exterior of the tower has a step which leads to an inner doorway. The inner arch of the door is carved with a chevron pattern.<ref name=":0" /> It has four [[Classical order|orders]] (rows of decoration receding into the doorway), two inside and two outside, separated by a narrow vaulted lobby. The [[Capital (architecture)|capitals]] – the heads of the pillars of the doorway – are carved with human heads with intertwining hair.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
== Timahoe esker ==
Timahoe contains an [[esker]] which is owned by the state and is a [[National nature reserve|National Nature Reserve]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Muyllaert|first=Mieke|title=Laois Esker survey 2005|url=https://www.laois.ie/wp-content/uploads/Esker-report-FINAL-report-2005.pdf|access-date=2021-11-29}}</ref> The esker has been identified as the best example of an esker a woodland area in County Laois that is still intact. The [[Timahoe Esker|Timahoe esker]] is steep and high and many parts of the esker are not obvious but most are somewhat visible.<ref name=":1" /> The flora of the ash woodland contains [[pedalculate oak]] and [[grey willow]] along with [[hazel]] and hawthorn. It is also rich in bluebells, bugle and shield fern during their seasonal time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Timahoe Esker Nature Reserve {{!}} National Parks & Wildlife Service|url=https://www.npws.ie/nature-reserves/laois/timahoe-esker-nature-reserve|access-date=2021-12-06|website=www.npws.ie}}</ref>
The Timahoe Esker has a high biodiversity value as a result of it having a large area of intact woodland. It is both a Nature Reserve and a Natural Heritage area so, therefore, its potential for biodiversity management is particularly greater.<ref name=":1" />
== Education ==
Timahoe contains a co-educational Catholic national school named Scoil Mhuire Fatima under the bishop of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin|Kildare and Leighlin]] diocese.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SCOIL MHUIRE FATIMA TIMAHOE|url=https://timahoens.weebly.com/|access-date=2021-12-09|website=SCOIL MHUIRE FATIMA TIMAHOE|language=en}}</ref>
== Sport ==
[[Timahoe GAA]] is the local [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] club. There are currently two Timahoe players on the current Laois senior football panel. These include Damien O' Connor and [[Brendan Quigley]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Laois GAA - Official Website|url=https://sportsmanager.ie/cake/gaa2/laoisgaanew/playerProfiles|access-date=2021-12-09|website=sportsmanager.ie}}</ref> Timahoe also has a soccer club called T&S United which is conjunction with its neighbouring village [[Stradbally]]. The ladies football club in Timahoe is named as Timahoe Ladies which is in conjunction with neighbouring parishes [[Stradbally]] and [[Vicarstown]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maggie Murphy - Timahoe Ladies Gaelic Football Club Image|url=https://ladiesgaelic.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Maggie-Murphy-Timahoe-Ladies-Gaelic-Football-Club-Image.jpg|access-date=2021-12-09|website=Ladies Gaelic Football|language=en-US}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.roundtowers.org/timahoe/index.htm Timahoe Round Tower Co. Laois]
{{County Laois}}
[[Category:Towns and villages in County Laois]]
[[Category:Townlands of County Laois]]
[[Category:Planned communities in the Republic of Ireland]]