Madam, – So the country has said farewell to our maestro of the marionette, Eugene Lambert. His name portrayed magic to generations of Irish children. But, in watching and reading of his funeral, I found one major omission in the attendance and tributes.
We saw the puppet cast from his Wanderly Wagondays; a crow and a dog, and that woebegone urchin in the Glasgow Celtic shirt and with the fire brigade-red hair and cheeks, Bosco. However, for my generation, where was that mischievous ginger-haired boy with the red button nose, Finnegan? Not surprising that the Lambert family declined to bring him along as he had been known to insult Eugene (and all others!) on most occasions when he appeared. Finnegan was the travelling companion of Eugene long before the halcyon days of travel in the garish caravan. Eugene and he travelled by bus, car, even bicycle when they were both struggling to make ends meet. I remember his radio days with such as Maureen Potter and Din Joe, as the little chisler sat on his master's knee and distributed lively back-chat.
So where was Finnegan last week? Was he, like my childhood, forgotten and locked away in a tattered cobwebbed suitcase in the darkest recesses of some attic? Farewell and thank you to Eugene Lambert and Finnegan, and indeed my childhood – they are now all three just pleasant memories. After all, Bosco, Mr Crow, and Judge are only for kids! – Yours, etc,