To Portpatrick

The Portpatrick Connection

Donaghadee, Co.Down, Northern Ireland, is 18 miles east of Belfast. But more interestingly it is also 18 miles west of Scotland. It is the latter fact that meant that Donaghadee was one of the most important towns in Ireland for over 200 years – while Belfast was in its infancy. A road atlas of Ireland, published in 1777, has as the first two maps the route from Dublin to Donaghadee.

In 1608 the town was part of the estate gained by Hugh Montgomery from Braidstone in Ayrshire. At that time Donaghadee would have been used by Scotsmen to cross between the two countries. However the authorities were concerned about the unregulated use of the crossing.

A survey was carried out and this looked at:
" the avoydinge of dailie disorders in conveyinge of stolen goodes out of any of the said kingdomes att Bye creekes of that coast and bringinge in of Idle and Lewd people to the hindrence of the Plantacion of these partes".

It came to the conclusion that:
" vpon the veiw of Bangor and other Creekes alonge the coast in the Ardes they find Donaghdy to be the only fittest place, between the River of Strangforde and the River of Knockfergus for the saftie of Boates the good ease of Passage and the abilitie of the Towne for the entertainemente of passengers"

Accordingly Montgomery was given a charter in 1616 which gave him a control of the trade between Ireland and Scotland through Donaghadee and Portpatrick on the Scottish coast. Donaghadee continued to be the main passenger and mail terminous for Ireland until 1849.

In its heyday at the end of the 18th century Donaghadee was handling over 20,000 passengers and over 30,000 cattle per annum. Passengers would make a 72-hour journey between London and Dublin via Donaghadee as the the route was less susceptable to the weather.

 Steam came to the route in 1825 when two paddle steamers, the "Dasher" and "Arrow" came over from Dover. But the arrival of steam also heralded the end of the service. Steamers could travel further and use more sheltered ports. So eventually the service transferred elsewhere.