Spirits of the East Coast

Grace Neill’s in Donaghadee is the starting point for Spirits of the East Coast on Saturday 31 October 2026, an adults-only guided walking tour through the town’s old harbour streets led by Nicky Jones of Experience & Explore NI. The tour is built around ghost stories tied to the town’s history and finishes back at Grace Neill’s, where the council’s listing invites walkers to settle their nerves post-tour with a Copeland Gin.

What to expect

The walk takes in the older corners of Donaghadee’s harbour town as the guide works through local ghost stories and history along the way, an approach that suits Halloween without leaning on jump scares or a haunted-house format. Grace Neill’s, reputedly one of Ireland’s oldest pubs, is both the starting point and the finish, where the tour rounds off with a Copeland Gin, a spirit distilled locally in the town. Tickets are £17 and the tour is intended for adults rather than families, run as part of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s own Halloween programme. The exact start time had not been published at the time of writing, so anyone booking should check their confirmation or the ticket page for the meeting time closer to the date.

Getting there

Grace Neill’s is on Donaghadee High Street, close to the harbour and the town’s landmark lighthouse. Donaghadee is on the A20 coast road from Newtownards and Bangor, with public parking around the harbour.

While you’re in Donaghadee

Donaghadee’s harbour was built by the engineer John Rennie in the early 1800s, and the lighthouse and the view out to the Copeland Islands are worth the walk down from the High Street regardless of the tour. There is more to see in Donaghadee and across Co. Down.

Good to know

• Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026 (evening; exact start time TBC)
• Meets and finishes at Grace Neill’s, 33 High Street, Donaghadee
• Price: £17 per ticket
• Adults only; finishes with a Copeland Gin at Grace Neill’s