Hollywood () is a village in west

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606 in Ireland, 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces ...

, Ireland. It is south of

Naas Naas ( ; or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2022, it had a population of 26,180, making it the largest town in County Kildare (ahead of Newbridge, County Kildare, Newbridge) and the List of urban ar ...

on the Wicklow Gap road near its junction with the N81 road. 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. The village is in a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

of the same name.

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 ''Ilex'' () or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

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's passage through.

Pilgrimage

The village has an association with 6th Century Saint Kevin and many pilgrims passed through, following in Saint Kevin's footsteps, on their way to the

monastic settlement Monastic settlements are areas built up in and around the development of monasteries with the spread of Christianity. To understand Christian monastic settlements, we must understand a brief history of Christian monasticism. Monasticism was a move ...

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.

Surroundings

The

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

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, know ...

, where the Liffey cascades in three stages. The

Poulaphouca Reservoir Poulaphouca Reservoir, officially Pollaphuca (), is an active reservoir (for both water supply and electricity generation) and area of wild bird conservation in west County Wicklow, Ireland named after the Poulaphouca waterfall on its south-wes ...

(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 generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

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

County Dublin County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...

. The

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

Piper's Stones, are 3.5 km to the southwest of Hollywood on the N81. The site is signposted. Hollywood, like its namesake in California, has a connection to the entertainment industry. It has provided a setting for several films, including ''

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

'', ''

Dancing at Lughnasa ''Dancing at Lughnasa'' is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in County Donegal, Ireland in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator. He re ...

'', 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 Ge ...

''. An imitation of the iconic Hollywood Sign overlooks the village from a nearby hill. It also gave its name to an album by

The Voice Squad The Voice Squad was a traditional singing group from Ireland. The members were Gerry Cullen, Phil Callery, and Fran McPhail. The group recorded four albums featuring a repertoire of Irish traditional songs.They always performed unaccompanied. ...

which was recorded in St Kevin's Church.

Notable people

William R. D. Blackwood Surgeon William Robert Douglas Blackwood (May 12, 1838 – April 26, 1922) was an Ireland, Irish soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Blackwood received the United States' highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for ...

(1838–1922), surgeon and soldier in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, born Hollywood *

Kevin Conneff Kevin Conneff is an Irish singer and musician, best known as the lead singer and bodhrán player of Irish folk group The Chieftains. Biography Conneff was born and raised in the Donore Avenue area of Dublin. Music was an important part of his ...

, lives in Hollywood

Gallery

Image:Ballysize cross, County Wicklow, Ireland 02.jpg, Ballysize Cross near Hollywood Image:Hollywood, County Wicklow, October 2023 04.jpg, Entrance to village

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 Civil parishes of County Wicklow