In the tiny, charming village of Timahoe, 12km southeast of Portlaoise, is a tilting 30m-tall, 12th-century round tower with an elaborately carved Romanesque doorway 5m above the ground. Screened by a burbling stream and seemingly straight out of a fairy tale, the tower is part of an ancient site that includes the ruins of a 15th-century church.
The entire place has a certain magical quality, enhanced by a dearth of visitors.