Holywood, Northern Ireland

Holywood Scots: Halywid Irish: Ard Mhic Nasca
St Colmcille's church on High Street
Holywood
Holywood shown within County Down
Population	12,131 (2011 Census)
District	Ards and North Down
County	County Down
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HOLYWOOD
Postcode district	BT18
Dialling code	028
Police	Northern Ireland
Fire	Northern Ireland
Ambulance	Northern Ireland
EU Parliament	Northern Ireland
UK Parliament	North Down
NI Assembly	North Down
Website	Holywood virtual community
List of places UK Northern Ireland Down 54°38′10″N 5°50′42″W / 54.636°N 5.845°W / 54.636; -5.845Coordinates: 54°38′10″N 5°50′42″W / 54.636°N 5.845°W / 54.636; -5.845

Holywood (/ˈhɒliwʊd/ HOL-ee-wuud) is a town in the metropolitan area of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a civil parish and townland of 755 acres lying on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby. The town hosts an annual jazz and blues festival.

The English name Holywood comes from Latin Sanctus Boscus, meaning 'holy wood'. This was the name the Normans gave to the woodland surrounding the monastery of St Laiseran, son of Nasca. The monastery was founded by Laiseran before 640 and was on the site of the present Holywood Priory. The earliest Anglicized form appears as Haliwode in a 14th-century document. Today, the name is pronounced the same as Hollywood.

The Irish name for Holywood is Ard Mhic Nasca meaning "high ground of Mac Nasca".

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