Donaghadee (/ˌdɒnəxəˈdiː/ DON-ə-khə-DEE,[4] from Irish Domhnach Daoi)[1] is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland.

[6] In the early 17th century, Hugh Montgomery settled Scottish Protestants there as part of the Plantation of Ulster, and it began to grow into a small town.

On the morning of Pike Sunday, 10 June 1798 a force of United Irishmen, mainly from Bangor, Donaghadee, Greyabbey and Ballywalter attempted to occupy the town of Newtownards.

[8] Donaghadee was used in the 1759–1826 period by couples going to Portpatrick in Scotland to marry, as there was a daily packet boat.

The Sir Samuel Kelly is a noted lifeboat once based in Donaghadee and now on show and preserved at the harbour for her efforts over 50 years ago.

On 31 January 1953, the lifeboat rescued many survivors in the Irish Sea from the stricken Larne–Stranraer car ferry, MV Princess Victoria.

On Census day (27 March 2011) there were 6,869 people living in Donaghadee (2,997 households), accounting for 0.38% of the NI total.

The Motte or Moat in Donaghadee was originally a motte-and-bailey castle built by the Anglo-Normans in the late 12th century.

[15] Among the algae recorded from Donaghadee are Gastroclonium ovatum, Callophyllis laciniata, Fucus ceranoides, Desmarestia ligulata, Hordaria flagelliformis, Codium fragile ssp.

[24] Donaghadee features as the fictional town of Port Devine in the BBC drama Hope Street which first aired in 2021.

[25] Donaghadee is mentioned several times in the song Forty Shades of Green, written by Johnny Cash in 1959.