|
| |
|
DONAGHADEE |
| |
|
|
| |
East of Bangor's sprawling suburbs, the first place of any size is
DONAGHADEE , a small market town whose origins lie in its proximity to
the Scottish coast - on a clear day, it's easy to see Galloway across
the water, if you climb up the little hill to The Moat , the remains of
a nineteenth-century folly. From the 1600s until the middle of the
nineteenth century, ferries ran between here and Portpatrick in Galloway,
the shortest sea-crossing available. Various notables arrived in Ireland
by this route, including, in 1818, John Keats on his walking tour of the
British Isles. He was reputedly so depressed by the poverty he saw on
his way to Belfast, and the mockery attracted by his fancy London
clothes, that he soon returned to Scotland. Grace Neill's Inn , on the
High Street, dates back to 1611 and claims to have put up Peter the
Great of Russia, during his European tour. Donaghadee's decline began
when the ferry service was transferred to Larne in 1849. Nowadays, apart
from watching the dulse-gatherers at low tide or fishing activity at the
harbour, there's little going on here and the town's only other claim to
fame is that its lighthouse received a lick of paint from Brendan Behan
when he was employed after the war by the Commission for Irish Lights.
More enticing is the possibility of visiting the three Copeland Islands
, a mile or so offshore and uninhabited since the 1940s. The middle one,
Cross Island, is now a bird sanctuary run by the RSPB, who arrange
cruises to it (tel 028/9049 1547); Nelson's Boats in Donaghadee run
regular trips to the other two (tel 028/9188 3403).
There are several small B&B s around town, including Deans , 52
Northfield Rd (tel 028/9188 2204; £33-40) and Herdstown House (tel
028/9188 3773; £33-40), a listed farmhouse on Hogstown Road. Camping is
available at Donaghadee Caravan Park (April-Oct; tel 028/9188 2369) on
Millisle Road. Chick-a-Dee , on the High Street, is the place for
economical breakfasts and lunches, while the bistro in Grace Neill's
across the road offers a popular upmarket option for meals .
|
| |
|
