Donaghadee Historical Walking Tour
DONAGHADEE
At the end of the Ice Age the first people to arrive in what is now Donaghadee probably settled, around 8,000 years ago, on the raised beach on which the Anglo-Norman Motte now stands. This was an excellent defensive site. It’s believed there was an Irish ring fort there originally, prior to construction of the Motte in the late 12th century.
Following the departure of the Normans, Donaghadee became part of the Clandeboye O’Neill’s vast estates. By 1603 Sir Con O’Neill, Lord of South Clandeboye and the Great Ardes, had been charged by Sir Arthur Chichester of ’waging war against the Queen’ and was imprisoned in Carrickfergus Castle. Sir Hugh Montgomery of Braidstane, Ayrshire heard about this and felt he could benefit from the situation. He offered to get a pardon for Con O’Neill, from King James, in return for half of O’Neill’s Estate. Montgomery succeeded, but then Sir James Hamilton and Sir James Fullerton approached King James and suggested he was being too generous in letting Montgomery have half of O’Neill’s lands. They suggested dividing the estate three ways: one third each to Hamilton & Montgomery and the final third left with Con O’Neill. The King agreed and Montgomery and Hamilton got permission to proceed with the private settlement of their newly acquired lands. Montgomery fell out with Hamilton for preventing him getting half of O’Neill’s estate and this bitter feud continued for years. Montgomery also acquired Portpatrick and got the Royal Warrant for it and Donaghadee. This meant that all trade and travel between the Ards and Galloway had to be between these two ports. By 1626 a packet service was set up between the two ports and for the next 200 years Donaghadee was one of the most important ports in Ireland.
THE ROYAL HARBOUR (1821-36)
John Rennie (Senior) designed Donaghadee’s new Royal Harbour. Work began in 1821 and was completed by 1836. It cost £150,000. The lighthouse was built in 1834 and lit for the first time in 1836. The harbour was originally built for sailing ships, but as steam ships were introduced and got bigger, they could no longer use the harbour. In the hope the mail packet service would return, B&CDR built a branch line from Newtownards to Donaghadee in 1861. It made little difference and the Larne-Stranraer route remained. Coal boats continued to bring coal to the harbour until 1955.
- Site of Montgomery’s Pier
Sir Hugh Montgomery’s crescent pier was built in 1626. It was 400’ (c 122m) long by 27’ (c 8m) wide and built with large stones. The old crescent pier was removed in 1836 when the new Royal Harbour was completed. You can still see the foundation base of the old pier at low tide.
- Harbour Foundation Stone
On 1st August 1821 the foundation stone of the Royal Harbour was laid by the Marquis of Downshire. In 2021 the then Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) unveiled a plaque commemorating the 200th anniversary of the harbour. Thousands of fossils, approximately 360 million years old, can be seen in the limestone blocks on the harbour.
- RNLI Station 1910
Prior to 1910 the lifeboat had to be launched from the shore. There has been a permanent life boat station here since 1910 and the lifeboat is now moored in the harbour. It is one of the more important stations on the east coast. The most famous lifeboat was the Sir Samuel Kelly, which played a vital role when the Princess Victoria car ferry sank off the Copeland Islands, on 31st January 1953. The Lifeboat rescued 33 of the 44 survivors and recovered many of the bodies of the 134 who perished.
- B&CDR Donaghadee Station
It opened in 1861 believing that Donaghadee could become the important port it had once been, but that didn’t happen. The station closed in April 1950.
- Regal Cinema
Copeland Distillery is basically the old Regal Cinema, built in March 1914 by Bob Evans, whose Ards Bottling Factory was situated beside it. The Regal closed in 1968.
- Lemon’s Wharf
James Lemon’s wharf, also known as Grannies’ Corner. It was used by small boats and for repairs to the pleasure boats that sailed to the Copeland Islands during the summer months. Now a children’s playground.
- Packet Ship Office, The Parade
This was where you purchased your ticket for the packet ship to Portpatrick. All mail from the mainland was delivered here. Up to 750,000 letters arrived yearly.
- Number 4, Shore Street
Originally built for the Duke of Cumberland. Earl O’Neill, of Shane’s Castle, lived here during the building of the Harbour. He was one of the Harbour Commissioners. It was the Police Station in the BBC’s ‘Hope Street.’
- The War Memorial
Donaghadee War Memorial was designed in 1925 and completed in 1926. It was opened by the Marchioness of Londonderry. It commemorates those who died in the 1st & 2nd World Wars.
- Baths Hotel
Built by John Moore for James Duffy as a hotel with hot baths and a cold-water pool. The building has now gone but the cold-water pool walls remain. It was also used as the British Legion Club. The site where the hotel once stood is now used by Donaghadee Sailing Club.
- Shore Street Church
In 1821 Rev William Skelly, the minister of Donaghadee Presbyterian Church, Meetinghouse Street, was accused of immorality and removed from the church. About half his congregation left with him. Daniel Delacherois gave permission for him to build his meeting house on the Warren Road. It was ready by 1822.
- Coastguard Station
Built in 1864-66, it houses seven boatmen’s houses, the Chief Coastguard Officer’s house and the Chief Boatman’s house. At this period there was a lot of smuggling going on along the coastline.
- Moat Inn
It was the manse for Rev. William Skelly, of Shore Street Meeting House. He was re-admitted to the Presbyterian Church the year before he died. It then became James Morrison’s Public House, then the Moat Inn.
- The Moat
The Anglo-Norman motte (& possibly a small bailey) was erected around 1190 on the existing raised beach (shaped by the Normans). The Motte is one of the largest in Ulster. The building on top is the Gunpowder Magazine, built around 1820 as a secure store for the gunpowder used during the building of the new harbour. Following renovation of the building in 2021, it now houses the only Camera Obscura in Ireland. From the top of the motte, you can see six kingdoms: Ireland, England, Scotland, Man, Mourne and the Kingdom of Heaven.
- The Parish Church
The present building, rebuilt in 1626 by Sir Hugh Montgomery, stands on the site of the earliest building dating, it’s believed, to the late 5th century. Local tradition says that St. Patrick marked out the site for the first church here, on an existing sacred pagan site. It’s from the ancient church that Donaghadee takes its name. It comes from the Irish words Domhnach Daoi (or possibly Caoide) meaning the church of Daoi/Caoide. The Domhnach churches in Ulster are associated with St Patrick. The word Domhnach went out of use in the 6th century, so Donaghadee Church must have existed from before that date. Local tradition also says that the Anglo-Normans built the first stone church here at the time of the construction of the motte. Headstones date from 1660.
- Montgomery’s Mill
Sir Hugh Montgomery’s first wife was responsible for building water corn mills in each of the parishes belonging to her husband. The huge mill dam brought water from the Dam Field to the water corn mill on Church Lane. The Corn Kiln and Miller’s House were situated here also. The mill was in use from 1619 to 1863. It became a blacksmith’s forge in the 1930s, a Fire Station in the 1960s. It was demolished 1992.
- The Bridewell
Hugh Montgomery, Earl of Mount Alexander sold this building in 1676. It later became a police station, then a post office and is now The Bridewell Café.
- 1st Presbyterian, High Street
This church replaced the original, old Presbyterian Meeting House on Meetinghouse Street in 1824. The site on High Street was donated by Alexander McMinn of Herdstown House.
- The Merchant House
Built before 1780, this was Alexander McMinn’s town house. It later became Cochrane’s Muslin Manufacturers, an embroidery collection point, a hotel, then Donaghadee UDC Town Hall. It was also a library. Recently renovated, it houses five apartments. A group called Ghostbusters said it was one of the most haunted buildings they had investigated.
- Grace Neill’s Bar
A very early inn from the 17th century. Originally called the King’s Arms, it was bought by Grace Neill’s son, James Neill, in 1880. When he died in1907, he left the bar to his mother, Grace, who ran it from 1907, at the age of 90, until she died on 7th July 1916 just 15 days short of her 99th birthday.
- Market House, New Street.
When New Street was created c1800, Daniel Delacherois designed the Market House. It was built in 1813. It served as a Court House and Assembly Rooms for many years.
- Manor House, High Street.
Thomas Montgomery, the last Earl of Mount Alexander and his wife, Marie Angelique Delacherois, lived here. On his death in 1757 he left his estates to her. She lived there until her death in 1771 and she is buried in the Church Graveyard.
- Sir Samuel Kelly Lifeboat
Donaghadee’s most famous lifeboat. It played a major role in the rescue of 33 of the 44 survivors from the ill-fated Princess Victoria, which sank on 31st January 1953 just off the Copeland Islands.
- St. Patrick’s Chair
Templepatrick, about half a mile from Donaghadee, on the road to Millisle, was the site of an ancient church dedicated to St. Patrick. There was a ‘Holy Well’ there, on the shore side of the road, the water of which was said to cure headaches. On the beach is a stone with the ‘footprint of Patrick and that of his horse’s hoof.’ The rocks from there to Saltpan Bay were known as St. Patrick’s Rocks. St. Patrick’s Chair is located at Saltpan Bay, opposite the Community Centre.
