[2] Carson was one of six children born to a working-class Catholic family from the inner-city Belfast locality known as the Half Bap (now called Cathedral Quarter).

He was one of the more prominent acts on The Comedians alongside the likes of Charlie Williams, Bernard Manning, Mike Reid and Jim Bowen.

Carson was a regular on television for a number of years after The Comedians, whilst also working as a stage entertainer and appearing before the Royal Family in shows.

In 1975, Carson took the part of Paddy O'Brien, described as "an Irish Republican landlord and coalman", in The Melting Pot, a sitcom written by Spike Milligan and Neil Shand, which was cancelled by the BBC after just one episode had been broadcast.

[citation needed] A theft from Carson's dressing room in Blackpool in 1995 caused ill feeling between entertainers Jim Davidson and Linda Nolan and this was revived in 2014 during an episode of Celebrity Big Brother.

[12] On 2 September 2009, aged 82, Carson returned to the stage appearing at the North Pier Theatre midweek season run of The Comedians in Blackpool, where he lived.

He was survived by his wife, Ruth (née Campbell, 1927–2015), whom he married on 21 January 1950, as well as his daughter, Majella, and his sons, Tony and Aidan, in addition to numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

[1] His funeral was held on 3 March 2012 at St Patrick's Church, Donegall Street, Belfast, where he had married his wife Ruth over 60 years earlier.

Mourners included Stan Boardman, Dennis Taylor, Eamonn Holmes, Martin McGuinness, Lenny Henry, Dana, Roy Walker and a large crowd of fans.

[7] In 1987 his dedication to charity was recognised by the Catholic Church when he was awarded a papal knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory by Pope John Paul II.