Chapter 30.

Hollywood,

the next locality on this route, was an ancient manor of the family who thence derived their name, and extended over the lands of Hollywood, Kinawde, Brownstown, Newtown, Ballyrichard, Damastown, &c.

The hill particularly called Hollywood, commands a prospect more limited at northward than that seen from Knockbrack, but at southward equally extensive. The little village is on the descent of the latter side, and presents the ruins of another of the Fingal species of triple-arched belfry churches, with nave and chancel, the former 16 yards long by six wide. The windows and doorways of this edifice are round arched. There are no tombs worthy of notice in either the church or churchyard and both are thickly filled with thorns. There is a, quarry immediately adjacent, which supplies lime, building, and rotten stone.

The parish bears the same name, and extends over 4,789a. 3r. 5p., comprised in 15 townlands, the chief proprietors being Lord Howth, Sir Compton Domville, Sir Thomas Staples, &c. Its population [490] was returned in 1831 as 1,022 persons, of whom 1,005 were Roman Catholics. Rent varies from one guinea to 37 shillings per acre aunually, wages being one shilling per day.

In the Protestant arrangement, the rectory being impropriate in the Marquis of Drogheda, the parish ranks as but a vicarage, episcopally united from time immemorial with those of Naul and Grallagh, all in the deanery of Garristown, and gift of the aforesaid Marquis. There are five acres and a half of glebe annexed, and the income of the union is augmented by £31 per annum from Primate Boulter’s fund In the Catholic dispensation this parish is in the union of Naul.

The church here was from a very early period appropriated to the canons of Lanthony near Gloucester.

In 1206 King John directed a reference to ascertain whether Hollywood, then the fee of Geoffrey de Marisco, had been obtained on an exchange by the Archbishop of Dublin. [Lit. Pat. in Turr. Lond.]

In 1230 flourished John de Hollywood, a famous philosopher and mathematician, and so called from having been born here. “In his springing years,” says Hanmer, “he sucked the sweet milk of good learning in the famous university of Oxford, afterwards he went to Paris, where he professed the learned sciences with singular commendations, and there slumbereth in the dust of the earth, whose exequies and funerals were there with great lamentations solemnized.” He wrote four books respectively treating ‘De Sphaera Mundi,’ ‘De Algarismo,’ ‘De Anno Ratione sire de computo ecclesiastico,’ and ‘Breviarium Juris.’ The first of these works has been commented upon by many learned men, and particularly by Christopher Clavius. He died at Paris as before mentioned, and was buried there in the cloisters of the convent of [491] St Maturine, otherwise called the convent of the Holy Trinity for the redempton of captives; a sphere is engraved upon his tomb. [Ware’s Writers, p. 73] For a notice of Hollywood and its dependant chapelry of Grallagh, in this century, see at “Clonmethan?’

About the year 1302 “there arose a great controversy in law between Richard de Feringes, Archbishop of Dublin, and the Lord Edmund Butler, touching the manor of Hollywood in Fingal, with the appurtenances2 which manor the Lord Butler recovered by an arbitrament or composition taken between them in the King’s Bench at Dublin.” [Holinshed.]

In 1310 Roger de Sacro Bosco (Hollywood) was summoned to attend the parliament of Kilkenny; and in 1334 Henry Hollywood, a Dominican friar, was directed to parley with O’Conor, Prince of the Irish of Connaught, and to receive for his expenses and services forty shillings.

In 1355 Robert Hollywood was Chief Remembrancer of the Exchequer. In 1361 Robert de Hollywood, a member of this family, was one of those gentlemen, “the worthiest then in chivalry,” who were knighted by Lionel Duke of Clarence. In 1373 he had a grant of £40 for his services in the wars in the counties of Kilkenny and Carlow, and in 1317 was required to march with his retinue against the O’Byrnes and O’Tooles. In 1401 Christopher Hollywood was one of those empowered by the king to hold convocations of the prelates, magnates, &c., to record their proceedings and to assess the state subsidies voted by them. For notices in 1416 and 1420, see at “Artane.”

In 1422 the Hollywood family were on inquisition found seised of various lands in Hollywood, Brownstown, Cloghran, &c. [Rot. Pat. in Canc. Hib.] The former denomination being charged with a certain chief rent to the priory of the Holy Trinity of Lismullen, in the county of Meath. The same family had also the patronage of the vicarage of Hollywood, until by the marriage of the heiress of Sir Robert Hollywood with Robert Burnell of Balgriffin, it passed to the latter family.

[492] In 1589 the Rectory here was taxed to the First Fruits at £4 14s. and the vicarage at £2 13s. 4d. Irish.

A rental of the 16th century states that the Priory of Kilmainham was seised of *(inter alia) *seven acres in the mountain of Hollywood, as also of a chief rent out of Hollywoodrath, while the rectory of Hollywood, containing Hollywood, Brownstown, Newtown, and Damestown were found to appertain to the Abbey of Duleek.

About the year 1560 Christopher Hollywood, was born here, entered into the Society of Jesuits in France when he was about 22 years of age, studied philosophy and divinity at Pont a Mousson in Lorrain, and afterwards read lectures of divinity at Padua in Italy, where he took the fourth vow. At length he was sent a missionary into Ireland, and appointed to govern those of his own society. In his journey he was arrested in England and for a time imprisoned, but, obtaining his liberty, he came into Ireland, where he presided over the Jesuits 23 years, to the time of his death which happened in 1626. He wrote “Defensio decreti Tridentini et sententiae Bellarmini,” and also “Libellus de investiganda vera ac invisibili Ecclesia,” &c.

In 1610 the king granted to Thomas Hibbotts and William Crowe all the crown estates in the town and fields of Hollywood, &c. At the same period Viscount Moore was seised of the rectory and tithes, for which he took out more effectual patents in 1618 and 1640, while the Hollywood family were seised of the manor, 20 messuages, and 760 acres. [Inquis. in Canc. Hib.] The regal visitation of 1615 accordingly states that this church was impropriate, adding that the vicarage was worth £20, and that Edward Corbet was vicar. For a notice in 1617 see at “Crumlin?’

In 1627 Nicholas Hollywood was seised of the manor of Artane, one castle, six messuages, and 180a., Killeigh 52a, Much Hollywood, Little Hollywood, Kinaude, Brownston, Napton, and Damaston 20 messuages and 760a., being parcel or the manor of Hollywood, and which he held of the king in capite by knight’s service.

At the Court of Claims consequent upon the forfeitures of 1641, John Hollywood established his right to an estate in tail [493] male in the lands of Great Hollywood and other lands in this county, with remainder to the crown on failure of his issue male. This remainder was afterwards granted to Lord Granard and took effect. See *ante *at ” Artane?’

For notices of Hollywood in 1680 see at “Artane;” and in 1697 at the “Naul?’

From Hollywood a road leads by Damastown, a townland on which is the Roman Catholic chapel of the parish, and over the hill of Mullahow into

Ch. 31. Grallagh.