Donaghadee named as best place to live in Northern Ireland by The Sunday Times

Donaghadee has been named the Best Place to Live in Northern Ireland by The Sunday Times.

Judges praised the town's thriving high street, beautiful seaside location and the lively spirit on display in its regular festivals or community groups such as the cold-water swimmers the Donaghadee Chunky Dunkers. 

Enniskillen and Belfast's Ormeau Road also feature in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide, giving Northern Ireland three spots out of the 72 sites named.

Aside from the regional winner, the Ormeau Road also appears on the list.

It's been described as "Belfast's best suburb" which is "bursting with hospitality".

The judges added: "The Upper Ormeau Road is now lined with an extraordinary selection of top-notch restaurants and coffee shops, but its traditional pubs are still going strong, too.

"A good choice of attractive Victorian homes, excellent schools and lovely parks make it a perfect location for family life, with all the fun of downtown Belfast within easy walking distance."

As for Enniskillen, the charm of its "access to the wild and wonderful watery playground of Lough Erne" won the judges over.

It features on the list due to its "lively, independent town centre with a good mix of practical and interesting shops, as well as a choice of good golf courses and a wonderfully relaxed pace of life".

Helen Davies, the editor of Best Places to Live 2023, said: “When times are tough, where we live matters more than ever.

"Attractive surroundings, good neighbours and a comfortable home are the best defences when the stresses of modern life seem overwhelming. 

“This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2023 from Orkney to Felixstowe, the Chew Valley to Manchester city centre.

"Whether you’re downsizing, trading up or getting onto the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.”  

Wadhurst in East Sussex was named the overall winner of Best Places to Live. It was praised by judges for its “good schools, convenient transport connections, an amazingly well-stocked high street and stunning scenery”.

This year’s guide – the 11th – features more new entries than ever before.

The Sunday Times’ expert judges have visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street. 

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