Legend has always linked Hollywood, CA to Hollywood, Co. Wicklow. In 1850, Matthew Guirke emigrated from Hollywood in Wicklow to America, and, after traveling around for a number of years, he is said to have settled in an area north west of the city of Los Angeles. He named his new property after the village he had come from, Hollywood.
No matter the real truth, the connection between Hollwood, Co. Wicklow, and it’s sunnier, more famous, namesake has grown. The village and surrounding areas have become locations for the directors and stars of Hollywood.. to create their masterpieces…
BRAVEHEART
Released in 1995 and telling the story of Sir William Wallace,, Braveheart was filmed in locations around Ireland in 1994. Those locations included the town of Blessington, where the local secondary school was used, and the surrounding areas, such as the Sally Gap. Production for the movie moved to Ireland at the last minute following lobbying from the Irish Government, and the promise to supply 1,600 members of the Irish Armed Forces. The movie was directed by, and starred, Mel Gibson, and won Best Picture at the 1996 Academy Awards.
DANCING AT LUGHNASA
While the story is based on Brian Friel’s childhood in Glenties, Donegal, the movie was filmed in various locations around Blessington. From August to October 1997, locations like the village of Hollywood, and the Sally Gap were used for the filming of the movie staring Meryl Streep and Michael Gambon. The movie was released in 1998.
(Picture above left with members of the cast are local extras, on location in Hollywood village, Co. Wicklow.)
P.S. I LOVE YOU
While the book was set in Ireland, the movie version was set in America, with the character Gerry Kennedy being from Wicklow. For the Irish holiday and flashback scenes,, the production used the beautiful scenery of the Sally Gap and the Blessington Lakes. The movie, staring Hillary Swank, Gerard Butler, and Lisa Kudrow, was filmed in Ireland in 2006. Released in 2007, the movie still draws visitors to the area, but unfortunately you CAN’T walk the Sally Gap to Dun Laoghaire as Holly and Gerry did.
VIKINGS
The series may have transported us back in time to the world of Viking warrior Ragnok Lothbrok, but filming was done mainly on the Blessington Lakes. Debuting on the History Channel in 2013, the series would continue for seven years and would spawn a sequel series on Netflix.
SMALL TOWN BIG STORY
it was a case of life imitating art, with a big production moving in to film in a small village. Partly filmed in Valleymount, with The Star Inn playing a big part, this series staring Chris O’Dowd, Niamh McCormack, and Christina Hendricks, debuted on Sky in 2025.
OTHER PRODUCTIONS:
Captain Boycott, 1947
Excalibur. 1981
Lilac Bus, 1990
Widows Peak, 1994 (Lacken)
Haywire, 2012
Bad Sisters, 2022-present (Dunlavin)
Baltimore 2023 (Russborough House)
Bodkin, 2024 (Ballyknockan, Manor Kilbride)
The Riders (Brad Pitt) 2026 (Glendalough, Lough Tay)
And many more…