doorway, which is high off the ground and faced the doorway of the church, is elaborately decorated in the 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. 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. Timahoe esker Timahoe contains an esker which is owned by the state and is a National Nature Reserve. The esker has been identified as the best example of an esker a woodland area in Co.Laois that is still intact. The Timahoe esker is steep and high and many parts of the esker are not obvious but most are somewhat visible. 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. 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. Education Timahoe contains a co-educational Catholic national school named Scoil Mhuire Fatima under the bishop of the Kildare and Leighlin diocese. 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. 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. References External links Timahoe Round Tower Co. Laois Towns and villages in County Laois Townlands of County Laois Planned communities in the Republic of Ireland