toppy toosy....Carnmoney...is this a road

[Christopher]

Hiya Steve,

I've sent a message to a friend who lives somewhere in North Belfast. He may know someone from Carnmoney. I'm not certain where he lives as I meet him at various gigs.

not sure about that one or indeed if i even know anyone old enoughto remember from that area... the Hill Tavern on Carnmoney Hill is probably a good place to ask?...

The Glengormley Library might also be worth contacting. Click here for contact details.

Christopher

[saz1401]

Uncle Chris - Wot are you saying??!! I must be OLD then cos I vaguely remember the lane!!!!

[Christopher]

Saz,

Don't worry. You're not old

I haven't a clue about the age of the guy I contacted ... he must be at least in his forties but may
not be from the Carnmoney area. He possibly knows of the Tavern through his musical connections.

Uncle Chris

[stevenson]

Thanks Chris

I shall telephone on Monday and ask

Steve

[TheWhuttle]

Capt. Steve,

Carnmoney ... taverns ... BIGGER men ...
[Click,click, click: The Whuttle awakes!]

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Sounds like you need a 1940s Street Directory ...

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"Toppy toosy" certainly sounds like a local colloquialism.

Perhaps a manifestation of that well-known Ulster custom,
endemic in the area:

    "Having a little tease with The English!"
      (as she is spoken ...)

Possible original candidates might have been:
    1) Top (of the) Toun;
    2) Two Tops (or Taps).

There is also a "letter agent" named TOPLEY in one of the Belfast directories.
Maybe it was his "Shank's pony" short cut over the hill?
The track that TOPLEY's tootsies trod!

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Much amused by "Topsy Turvy" thoughts.
[Think Commander G deserves a prize for his clever discovery!]

I recalled the film "Topsy Turvy".
About an era in Gilbert & Sullivan's collaboration.

[However, I only got as far as finding a Mount GILBERT to the West of Belfast (named for an early Vicar?) ... "Tripping gaily over mountain" ... but could only match it with a school in Hollywood for SULLIVAN. ]

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The townland of Hightown (Glengormley), part of Carnmoney parish, used to be known as Biggerstown.
[Presumably 'cos the BIGGERs bigged lots of wee hooses there ... ?]

The family apparently came over from Nithsdale in Scotland in 1648.

James BIGGER was a United Irishman who fought at Antrim in 1798.
This effort erupted out of "The Trench" at Mallusk.

His brother David BIGGER lived there.
He was one of the founders of RBAI, and grandfather of the famous Francis Joseph BIGGER who, in a colourful life, found time to support strange concepts like Tee-Total pubs ...

Ref 1: "Carved in Stone".

Ref 2:  "Mallusk Memorials"  0-9524698-1-2, July 1997  £5 (then)
Produced by a power of physical work and genealogical research by some stalwarts from the Belfast Branch of the NI FHS.

The latter contains a small section of the BIGGER family tree.

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I can put you in touch with a man who claims to know "everything" about Carnmoney (even more then W.F.McKINNEY!), but I think that he charges for his time these days ...

Capt. Jock

[aghadowey]

"Toppy toosy" certainly sounds like a local colloquialism.
Perhaps a manifestation of that well-known Ulster custom,
endemic in the area:
    "Having a little tease with The English!"
      (as she is spoken ...)
Possible original candidates might have been:
    1) Top (of the) Toun;
    2) Two Tops (or Taps).
There is also a "letter agent" named TOPLEY in one of the Belfast directories.
Maybe it was his "Shank's pony" short cut over the hill?
The track that TOPLEY's tootsies trod!

Still think the origin of the name is here:

There's a Tappatourzee/Tappuetousie (local pronunciation Tap a toosy) in Knockaduff townland, Co. Londonderry. 
The name according to Jameson's Scottish Dictionary means 'dishevelled head.'

[stevenson]

Thank you both

Capt
Never knew Hightown was Glengormley
......and our Bigger's I shall leave for the moment
bet your man cost a lot of ulster fries...

Aghadoweny
I love your "dishevelled head"meaning......probably an old Scots term they brought over with them ,that they used to explained a old rough road/track/person etc

Steve

[melv]

There was a Abernathy's shop in carnmoney village, across the road from carnmoney presbyterian lecture hall, the shop is now a car showroom. melv.

[TheWhuttle]

Melv,

Probably this change of shop function can be attributed directly to the Church's recent world-engaging evangelical drive, with its emphasis on moving ...

   ... from just a pathetic local shedding of words;
            [and partaking of the biscuits covertly.]

   ... to a Just peripatetic vocal spreading of The Word;
            [and taking the biscuit convert-ly!]

Revving Jock