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The small seaside town winning big from TV tourism

Kevin SharkeyBBC News NI
News imageGetty Images The image shows Donaghadee harbour with a white lighthouse in the background. In the foreground are a number of colourful boats.Getty Images
Donaghadee Harbour and lighthouse regularly feature in the show

What happens to a pretty seaside town when film crews descend upon it?

People in "Port Devine" - with its multi-coloured houses, a lighthouse and spectacular coastal views - have been experiencing the effects for five years now.

Its real name is Donaghadee and while its charm has been long appreciated by locals and day-trippers alike, the town's alter ego has captured the hearts of many more as home to the popular BBC police drama Hope Street.

Fans have flocked to the County Down location since filming first started in 2021.

News imageKathryn Strain (left) and Bridie McElhill. Kathryn has short white hair and a blue dress while Bridie has a straw hat and is wearing a long bathing robe. They are standing outside on a sunny day, behind them is grass and further in the distance the sea.
Kathryn Strain (left) and Bridie McElhill think the series has been good for their town

Kathryn Strain, who is a member of the Chunky Dunkers sea swimming group in Donaghadee, says it's common to see tourists from cruise ships visiting Belfast making trips to the town.

"You can hear them saying, 'oh, that's where the police station was, and oh, this is so and so's house'," so it has been great, it has been good for the town, definitely," she told BBC News NI.

News imageBBC/Long Story TV/Peter Marley A man is pictured leaning on a sea wall. He's dressed in a brown and white check shirt and has dark hair. The background is blurred but you can see boats and the lighthouse. BBC/Long Story TV/Peter Marley
Donaghadee's coastline featured prominently in the show

Some of the Hope Street cast and crew have also braved the cold of Irish Sea and enjoyed - or maybe not - a dip.

Like many locals, Kathryn can be spotted in Hope Street episodes as an extra.

"I think my most famous [part] was, and as my husband says I've got the face for a funeral, I was in it at a funeral," she jokes.

Her friend, Bridie McElhill, who also swims with the Chunky Dunkers, says the show has helped put Donaghadee "on the map".

"People come to Donaghadee now to see the town and see all the locations where the filming has taken place.

"I do think it has brought people into the town, and that's great for the town."

Fans can also now own a piece of Hope Street history as a local charity shop is selling costumes from the show.

A feature film - starring Finnian Garbutt who died in April from skin cancer - is due to be released in the autumn.

News imageBBC/Long Story TV/Peter Marley Finnian Garbutt, a man with dark hair, wearing a white shirt with black tie and a black support vest with the words police on it. He is wearing a black watch on his left wrist and there is a row of white houses in the background.BBC/Long Story TV/Peter Marley
Finnian Garbutt played police constable Ryan Power in the police drama

At the Stormy Cup cafe, staff had become accustomed to serving cast and crew members in recent years, but now they are catering for more tourists.

Cafe manager, Brooke Pennick, says when Hope Street first came to town there was a buzz.

News imageBrooke has dark blonde hair pulled back from her face, she has light blue eyes and behind her is her cafe's barista machine along with mugs and syrups. On the blue wall behind her is a number of black chalkboards listing what is sold there, along with prices.
Cafe manager, Brooke Pennick, says having Hope Street filmed in the town was "special"

"For locals, being able to see it happen right in front of their eyes, in front of their front doors, to crowds gathering down at the pier in the evenings to watch parts of that was such a special thing."

Now, thanks to the show, she says more visitors are arriving in the town.

"We do have a lot of tourists coming here and wanting to see where things were filmed and go to proper sets and understand the logistics behind it.

"It's been wonderful, it's been something really special."

News imageSarah Cochrane stands in front of a building which has an orange-painted wall with a white-framed window. She is smiling and wearing glasses, with blond hair pulled back behind her head anda blue and white checked shirt.
Sarah Cochrane manages Pier 36

A local pub and restaurant was used as the fictional venue The Commodore in the drama.

Sarah Cochrane, general manager of Pier 36, says people are coming to the town to find out more about sites and venues used for the drama.

"Over the summer we've had visitors from America, we've had Australian visitors that have watched the show.

"We've seen people from all over the place."

One of Our Own - A Hope Street Film will air on the BBC this autumn following a cinema release across Northern Ireland in September, and further UK releases in October 2026.