Belfast comedian Frank Carson is set to be honoured with a blue plaque at St Patrick’s National School, the former school he attended in the city, RTÉ.ie reported.
Carson, who rose to prominence through television series such as Opportunity Knocks and Tiswas, became widely known for his trademark catchphrases, “It’s the way I tell them” and “It’s a cracker.” Born in Belfast, he also served two terms as the mayor of Balbriggan, County Dublin. He died in 2012 at the age of 85 at his home in Blackpool, Lancashire, following an illness.
Crowds attended his funeral in Belfast, where mourners heard him described as the “prime minister of fun.” The upcoming plaque installation by the Ulster History Circle makes that memory permanent at his childhood school on the day marking what would have been his centenary.
Tony Carson, the comedian’s son, said the tribute brings his father back to his origins. “For the Carson family, this blue plaque brings dad back home, fixing his legacy where Hugh Francis Carson’s story began,” he said, as reported by RTÉ.ie. “For the Belfast community, it honours one of their own, proof that humour and heart, with unbound energy and ambition can rise from humble beginnings to achieve success and, as importantly, admiration.”
He added that Northern Ireland celebrates a performer who maintained morale during difficult decades. “The whole of Northern Ireland rightly celebrates a man who, through our darkest years, made us laugh together and took Belfast wit – ‘It’s the way I tell ‘em’ – to the world,” he said. “A Centenary reminder that joy itself can be a lasting legacy, Pops, you’ll always be a ‘cracker’.”
Dan Gordon, who wrote and performed the one-man show Frank Carson – A Rebel Without A Pause, noted that the comedian maintained a distinct connection to his roots throughout a half-century in entertainment.
Frank Carson was quintessentially Belfast. He was simultaneously soft, hard, joyous, exuberant, charitable, loyal, thoughtful and driven. A cornerstone of comedy for 50 years.
Gordon pointed to Carson’s extensive reach across mediums, moving from summer specials and local broadcasting to Royal Variety performances, playing to television audiences numbering 18 million while remaining comfortable on a Blackpool pier or the stage at the London Palladium. “He started as a Belfast newsboy and finished as a papal knight,” Gordon told RTÉ.ie. “It was the way he told ‘em.”
Fellow comedian Spike Milligan once summarized Carson’s relentless energy by observing that the difference between Frank Carson and the M1 motorway is that “you can turn off the M1.”
Chris Spurr, chairman of the Ulster History Circle, said the organization is pleased to mark the centenary with the blue plaque installation. “Frank Carson delighted millions of fans with his quick wit and comic timing, and his charity fundraising benefited many causes,” Spurr told RTÉ.ie, noting the financial support provided by Belfast City Council alongside assistance from St Patrick’s Parish and the Carson family.
