Gilnahirk

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**Gilnahirk**
Ordnance Survey


OS grid reference:	TQ285765
Administration
District:	Castlereagh Borough Council
Constituent country:	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Historic county:	Down
Province:	Ulster
Services
Police force:	PSNI
Fire brigade:	Northern Ireland
Ambulance service:	Northern Ireland
Post office and telephone
Post town:	BELFAST
Postal district:	BT5
Dialling code:	028
Politics
UK Parliament:	East Belfast
NI Assembly:	East Belfast
European Parliament:	Northern Ireland

Gilnahirk (Irish:Giolla na hAdhairce, i.e. "The boy of the horn", Ulster Scots: Stae Brae) is a suburb of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is within the Castlereagh Borough Council area and is located in the East Belfast constituency. It is a largely middle-class area with a mainly, but not entirely, Protestant population. It lies around 5 miles (8 km) east south-east of Belfast City Hall.

[edit] Geographic and historical information

Gilnahirk is a name that dates back to the Middle Ages, whenever it was necessary for an area to have a "watchboy" called a "gil" on the top of the highest hill to look out for incoming enemies. "Hirk" means hill. Therefore, Gilnahirk means "watchboy on top of a hill".