Tributes continue to be paid to the comedian Jimmy Cricket who died on Monday at the age of 80 following a short illness.

Known for his trademark wellington boots, battered bowler hat and memorable catchphrases, he has been hailed as “inspirational” by some of those who knew him best.

Cricket’s son, Father Frankie Mulgrew, said the late comedian “saw the joy in everything, right up until his death”.

“On Sunday he wanted the last rights twice, because like a good comedian he wanted an encore”.

Fr Mulgrew, who is a Catholic priest at Salford Cathedral, said his father’s faith was “really important to him and in the end he was really looking forward to going home, to going in to eternity”.

His purpose was to simply “inject as much joy and silliness into the world as he could and he was doing it right until the end,” he added.

Cricket was born as James Joseph Mulgrew in Cookstown, County Tyrone in 1945.

He left school at 16 and started the summer season of 1966 as a Redcoat for Butlins.

He worked the comedy club scene in the 1970s and 1980s, going on to win LWT’s Search for a Star talent contest.

He eventually got his own TV show on ITV and a radio series on BBC Radio 2.

Although he spent the later years of his life in the Greater Manchester area, Fr Mulgrew said his father had a “love” for Northern Ireland.

“He never shied away from going over, even during the dark days and in the midst of it all he just wanted to shine a light of joy.

“He wanted to give a positive side of Ireland and he wanted to inject light where there was darkness.”

Speaking to Good Morning Ulster Fr Mulgrew said being around his father possibly inspired his call to priesthood.

“When you are inspired by kindness I think it inspires you to do something with kindness.”

Like Cricket, the comedian and TV presenter Roy Walker also grew up in Northern Ireland before going on to spend decades sharing stages, dressing rooms, and summer seasons with him across the country.

Walker described him as a “sincere wee fella” that “loved everyone and everyone loved him”.

“He was great believer and a great comedian, like lots of comedians to have come from the north of Ireland.”

Walker said that when he and Cricket left the country in 1969 they would do gigs in which “they’d give you half the money and chase you out the club, so he used to call into my house for petrol money. Little did they know what a big star he was going to become”.

Walker added Cricket was well-known for “keeping his act clean” in a time where some of the clubs would not have allowed any type of crude language or swear words.

He was always chasing “the sound of laughter,” said Walker, “it’s infectious, he couldn’t do without it”.

The veteran entertainer Christopher Biggins said Cricket was “unbelievably fantastic, I don’t think I met a nicer man ever”.

“His comedy was unique and simple and absolutely hysterical,” he told Good Morning Ulster.

Biggins also claimed it was Cricket who “made wellington boots trendy” because he was well-known for wearing wellies on the wrong feet as part of his act.

Having last worked with Cricket during a UK-wide comedy tour, Biggins added that late comedian was “a genius” providing “simple humour that the public adored”.

“He’s up there now with Ken Dodd and having a ball, making people laugh again. I’m sure he’s got his silver wellies on now.”