Donaghdee Town.

The name Donaghadee means 'Church of St Diack' Donaghadee's sheltered harbour has given the town great importance since the 16th century. The lighthouse on the south pier was designed by the men who built the Eddystone light off Plymouth Sir John Rennie and David Logan. Gust off the coast is the Copeland Islands where the lighthouse on Mew Island guards the eastern coast of County Down.

Many famous people have stayed in Donaghdee, Boswell in 1769, Keats in 1818 on his way to visit the Giant's causeway, staying in the old Grace Neill Inn (1611) in the high street. Franz Liszt together with a piano, was marooned for a few days due to bad weather. Wordsworth also paid Donaghdee a visit. It is said that Peter the Great stayed in the inn between 1697-98 and learned about shipbuilding. Brendan Behan the writer visited for some time and ended up painting the lighthouse.

In the 1820's the harbour was greatly enlarged in the hope that Donaghdee would remain the mail packet station for Scotland. This hope was dashed when in 1849 the Stranraer Larne service was chosen, a branch line from Bangor reached Donaghdee in 1861.

A lifeboat is maintained at Donaghadee

The information below is taken from Lewis's Topographical Directory of Ireland 1834.

Its natural harbour is small, but has lately been greatly improved by the erection of two large stone piers carried out on ledges of rock to a depth of sixteen feet at low water, and enclosing a space of about 200 yards each way outside the original harbour. A great part of the interior has been excavated to the same depth as the entrance; the original estimate for the improvement of this harbour, which commenced in 1821, was £145,453, of which up to Jan. 5th, 1834, £143,704. 5s. 8d., had been expended.

When finished, vessels drawing 16 feet of water may safely enter it at any period of the tide. The stone of which the piers, lighthouse, are built, is the Anglesey marble. The lighthouse, at the extremity of the south pier, is a stationary red light. Donaghadee is a creek to the port of Belfast, and has a harbour master and one custom-house officer.

Its principal imports are coal and timber, and its principal exports, live cattle and pigs. Nearly all the poor females are employed in embroidering muslin, chiefly for the Glasgow manufacturers above £20,000 per ann. is paid as wages for this work, which was introduced in 1805. There are many wind and water mills, several of which are employed in dressing flax. There is no regular market; fairs are held on June 13th, Aug. 16th, Oct. 10th, and on the second Saturday in December.