Hollywood () is a village in west

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. It is situated on the Wicklow Gap road, near its junction with the N81

national secondary road A national secondary road ( ga, Bóthar Náisiúnta den Dara Grád) is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national ...

. It is known for its pre-1950s themed fair which takes place in August of every year. A population of less than 100 people registered in the 2002 Census, though the community draws from a larger area which consists of about 500 people.

Etymology

''Cillín Chaoimhín'' is the associated Irish name for Hollywood; its literal translation being Kevin's Small Church. Another, older Irish name is ''Cnoic Rua'', literally meaning ''Red Hill''. This may be a reference to the red berries of holly trees on the hills above the village or it may in fact be a reference to the presence of Wicklow heather. Another possibility is that the original name for Hollywood may have been Holy Wood, as a reference to

Saint Kevin Saint Kevin (modern Irish '; Old Irish ', '; latinized '; 498 (reputedly)–3 June 618) is an Irish saint, known as the founder and first abbot of Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. His feast day is 3 June. Early life Kevin's life is not ...

's passage through.

Pilgrimage

The village has an association with 6th Century

and many pilgrims passed through, following in Saint Kevin's footsteps, on their way to the monastic settlement at

Glendalough Glendalough (; ) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. From 1825 to 1957, the head of the Glendalough Valley was the site of a galena lead min ...

, until the practice ceased in the early 1900s. Local landmarks include Saint Kevin's Chair, and Saint Kevin's Cave. Saint Kevin's Way is a 30 km pilgrim path from Hollywood to

, and is connected to the

Wicklow Mountains National Park Wicklow Mountains National Park () is a protected area in Ireland, one of six national parks in the country. The park stretches through County Wicklow as well as small areas of South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown in County Dublin. The p ...

Surroundings

The

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the sec ...

in the village church has a vaulted roof from the 17th century. About 3 km northeast of the village is

Poulaphouca Poulaphouca, officially Pollaphuca (), is the name of a waterfall and bridge on the River Liffey between County Wicklow and County Kildare. It is primarily known for its hydroelectric generating station and the associated artificial lake, kn ...

, where the Liffey cascades in three stages. The Poulaphouca Reservoir (also known as ''Blessington Lakes''), which cover about or 20 km², were formed in the mid-20th century by the building of the Poulaphouca Dam and

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

power station, and today serve the purpose of providing the power and water that supply

County Dublin "Action to match our speech" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg , map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...

. The

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

Piper's Stones, are 3.5 km to the southwest of Hollywood on the N81. The site is signposted. Hollywood, like its

namesake A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another. History The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake", which originates in English Bible translations ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, has a connection to the entertainment industry. It has provided a setting for several films, including

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...

Dancing At Lughnasa, and

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and ...

. An imitation of the iconic

Hollywood Sign The Hollywood Sign is an American landmark and cultural icon overlooking Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Originally the Hollywoodland Sign, it is situated on Mount Lee, in the Beachwood Canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains. Spelli ...

overlooks the village from a nearby hill. It also gave its name to an album by The Voice Squad which was recorded in St Kevin's Church.https://www.singers.com/itemprint/p/p/2035c/

References

External links

CSO 2006 censusHollywood GAA websiteHollywood at Discover IrelandGenealogy death records for headstones in the Saint Kevin's Church cemetery
{{Irish long-distance trails Towns and villages in County Wicklow