Overview
Hollywood is where St Kevin’s Way begins – the 30km pilgrim path over the Wicklow Gap to the monastic ruins at Glendalough, walked for centuries until the practice died out in the early 1900s. The village itself is tiny, fewer than a hundred residents (about 500 in the wider community), sitting on the N81 just south of the Gap with a hotel, a couple of pubs, a café and a church. It makes a practical base for walkers and a quiet stop for anyone driving into the mountains.
The Irish name is Cillín Chaoimhín (‘Kevin’s small church’). An older name for the area, Cnoic Rua (‘Red Hill’), probably refers to the heather on the slopes in late summer or to holly berries; another theory reads the English name as ‘Holy Wood’, from St Kevin’s passage through here.
History & local legend
A persistent local story explains the name that everyone asks about: blacksmith Mathew Guirke is said to have emigrated from Hollywood to California in the 1850s and named his new homestead after the village – which, if true, would make this the original Hollywood. The Irish village predates the American city by centuries, and the tale is impossible to prove, but it’s a good one and the locals keep it going.
The village has produced at least one figure of note: William R. D. Blackwood (1838–1922), an army surgeon who was awarded the American Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War, was born here.
St Kevin’s Church, the Church of Ireland building in the village, has a vaulted roof from the 17th century, though the present church was built between about 1825 and 1835 on the site of an earlier 18th-century chapel. Its acoustics have made it useful as a recording space: the Dublin group The Voice Squad recorded their album Holly Wood here. It still serves as an active place of worship and an occasional concert venue.
Walking & pilgrimage routes
Hollywood is a natural starting point for several waymarked trails:
- Saint Kevin’s Way – The 30km pilgrim path starts just outside the village centre, climbs toward the Wicklow Gap and finishes at Glendalough. The first kilometre is easy and accessible from the main road.
- The Wicklow Way – Ireland’s first waymarked long-distance walk runs nearby, with a handy connection point at Ballinagee Bridge into the wider Wicklow Mountains National Park network.
- St Kevin’s Chair & Bed – Rock formations on the hillside near the village, tied by local tradition to the saint’s early ascetic life and reachable on a short, gentle walk.
- Bronze Age Piper’s Stones – A stone circle 3.5km south-west of Hollywood on the N81, signposted from the road – a quiet glimpse of the area’s prehistoric past.
Sturdy footwear is worth it on the uneven ground, and dogs are welcome on a lead.
The Wicklow Film Trail
Wicklow is sometimes called the ‘Hollywood of Europe’, and the County Wicklow Film Commission has been placing productions in the landscape since 1992. Hollywood and its surroundings have stood in for medieval and rural Ireland in a run of films: Michael Collins (1996, with Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts), Dancing at Lughnasa (1998, with Meryl Streep), This Is My Father (1998), King Arthur (2004) and One Hundred Mornings (2009), and the area has since turned up in Netflix productions too.
The village sits on the self-guided Wicklow Film Trail, marked by roadside information signs, with a printable map available from the Blessington Tourist Office or online. Other trail stops in the wider area include Brockagh Moorland, the Braveheart stockade earthworks and the P.S. I Love You bridge. There are no guided tours from the village – you follow it by car or on foot.
What to see & do
- St Kevin’s Church – Worth a look for the vaulted 17th-century roof; it also marks the traditional start of the walk to Glendalough.
- Hollywood sign viewpoint – A replica of the famous Hollywood sign has overlooked the village from the ridge, which gives clear views across the Blessington Lakes whether or not the sign is up when you visit.
- Tutty’s Pub & The Hollywood Inn – Tutty’s trades from a building dating to the 1790s stage-coach era; the Hollywood Inn has a bar and rooms.
- Horseshoe Cottage – A former blacksmith’s forge, now a house, a small link to the village’s working past.
Annual events
- Pre-1950s themed fair (August) – A vintage-style community day with rides, craft stalls, music and local food. Dates move year to year, so check the community board or Blessington Tourist Office.
- Music Under the Mountain (September) – An acoustic concert series inside St Kevin’s Church, using the building’s natural sound.
Practical information
- Getting there – Hollywood is on the N81, which connects to the M50 for drivers from Dublin. The nearest bus stop is in Blessington (about 5km away); the closest train station is Rathdrum. Most visitors come by car.
- Parking – A small free car park sits beside the village shop, first-come, first-served. A modest charge may apply on peak summer weekends.
- Maps & information – A repurposed telephone kiosk in the centre holds free local maps, trail guides and the film trail booklet.
- Weather & winter travel – The Wicklow Gap road can be hazardous in winter; snow and ice have brought road-closure warnings in recent years. Check weather and road status before travelling, particularly January to March.
Nearby attractions
- Baltinglass – A short drive, with a well-preserved 12th-century Cistercian abbey in quiet farmland.
- Castle Kevin – The ruins of an early medieval fortification traditionally linked to the saint.
- Russborough House – Near Blessington, a Palladian estate known for its art collection, formal gardens and parkland walks.
If you’re walking St Kevin’s Way, start early to get a spot in the village car park and to have daylight for the climb to the Gap. The markers are clear, but carry a paper copy of the film-trail or walking map – phone signal drops in the valley.