Hollywood, County Wicklow

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'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 at Glendalough, 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 Glendalough, and is connected to the Wicklow Mountains National Park.

Surroundings

The Church of Ireland in the village church has a vaulted roof from the 17th century. About 3 km northeast of the village is Poulaphouca, where the Liffey cascades in three stages. The Poulaphouca Reservoir (also known as Blessington Lakes), which cover about 5000 acre or 20 km2, were formed in the mid-20th century by the building of the Poulaphouca Dam and hydroelectric power station, and today serve the purpose of providing the power and water that supply County Dublin.

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

Dancing at Lughnasa, and Michael Collins. 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 which was recorded in St Kevin's Church.

Filming location

The following films have been filmed in part in the village:

• Michael Collins (1996) (specifically Hollywood Glen)
• Dancing at Lughnasa (1998)
• This Is My Father (1998)
• King Arthur (2004)
• One Hundred Mornings (2009)

Notable people

• William R. D. Blackwood (1838–1922), surgeon and soldier in the American Civil War, born Hollywood
• Kevin Conneff, 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

References

1. "Placenames Database of Ireland".
2. "Prehistoric and Early Ireland @ / - Home".
3. "wicklownationalpark.ie".
4. link. (2009-12-10 on the Heritage Council website)
5. "Hollywood – Wicklow County Tourism".
6. (2011-08-30). "Welcome to the real Hollywood". [[Irish Examiner]].
7. "Voice Squad: Holly Wood - Singers.com".
8. "Hollywood – Wicklow County Tourism".
9. Galvin, Tom. (2025-03-07). "Europe's Hollywood: Explore the iconic filming locations of Wicklow". [[Bray People]].
10. Kinane, Barry. (2024). "Welcome to the Granite City: A Social History of Ballyknockan". self-published.
11. "Wicklow Film History {{!}} Wicklow.ie".
12. (February 23, 2012). "The 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry: Soldiers of the 48th: Surgeon William R.D. Blackwood, Medal of Honor Recipient".
13. "11/11/14, BENCHMARKS: A Brief History of US Military Veterans at the University of Pennsylvania - Almanac, Vol. 61, No. 13".