The Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism Martin Cullen is paying tribute to puppeteer Eugene Lambert – who passed away last night.

Originally from Sligo, he entertained generations of Irish children with well known characters like ‘Judge’ the dog and played the role of ‘O’Brien’ in the popular television series Wanderley Wagon.

He founded the Lambert Puppet Theatre in Dublin in 1972, which was behind shows such as ‘Bosco’.

Minister Cullen has described Eugene Lambert as “a master of the art of puppetry” and said his work has “enriched the lives of both adults and children” across the country.