The softly spoken model maker and TV enthusiast decided to marry two of his loves . . . Lego and the Late Late Show . . . and create what has now become an internet phenomenon.

Hickey spent three months building an exact replica of the Late Late Show set, before using his trusty Sony camcorder to film his own version of Pat Kenny's talk show, shot by shot. Eventually, he dubbed it with the opening credit music, Kenny's voice and various musical performers to create the Lego Late Late Show.

Hickey, who has just completed a degree in media arts in the Dublin Institute of Technology, didn't really do anything with the video he had shot until six weeks ago. His brother notified him of YouTube, now one of the most popular websites on the internet. A vast library of home videos and uploaded television programmes, YouTube serves over 100 million videos daily.

Hickey uploaded his Lego Late Late Show, and it has rapidly become one of the most watched Irish contributions to the website, and marked Hickey out as a bit of a web legend. The videos (on the site in two parts) have had over 4,000 views since they were uploaded just one month ago.

"I have no idea, " is Hickey's uncertain response when asked why he actually decided to make the Lego production. He prepared for the project by watching the Late Late and taking sketches of the set. "I suppose I just had an interest in model making and a giant lego collection at home, " he told the Sunday Tribune. "I've always had an interest in TV production and the Late Late Show is the most significant television production here in Ireland. I've always liked it, so I suppose it made sense to do it in some way."

The result is a hilarious and incredibly precise representation of the world's longest-running chat show.

Lego audience members queue up outside the studio, before filling their seats and awaiting the arrival of Lego host Pat Kenny. First a Lego Mickey Harte performs, and in part two, Kenny enters the audience to chat about the evening's competition, before Lego Nadine Coyle takes the stage to belt out 'Fields of Gold'.

The most painstaking element of building the set was getting the lighting just right. "Planning the wiring took the longest, " said Hickey. "There's about 200 miniature lightbulbs throughout, and planning the circuits, sourcing the materials and using different gels to colour the light took quite some time."

The remainder of the set is built out of plastic card, milk bottles and of course, more Lego.

"To the Lego purist, I'm a bit of a heretic, since I cut up [Lego] boards and took some liberties with the Lego, " Hickey joked. To replicate tricky fluid camera shots, Hickey built tracking using cardboard, and made a Lego tray with wheels to place the camera on.

Since finishing the project, Hickey has won a national award for a documentary about Dublin's O'Connell Street at the National Student Media Awards in 2004. He hopes to continue television production, aspiring to be a vision mixer. But he still nurses plans of a Lego Late Late Show follow up. "I might consider doing another one if they launch a new set next month, " he revealed.