Popular Fair City star Bryan Murray diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

Fair City star Bryan Murray has revealed he has Alzheimer’s.

The 73-year-old, who is best known for playing Bob Charles on the RTÉ soap, was diagnosed with the memory condition three years ago.

The actor has now decided to go public with his diagnosis in hopes of helping others who have the progressive neurologic disorder.

His wife Una Crawford O’Brien, who plays Renee Phelan on Fair City, recalled noticing Bryan struggling while they were touring with a play together.

She told the RTÉ Guide: “I noticed Bryan’s lines were difficult for him. He’d get irate if I were to say anything, so later, on holidays, I asked if he’d get his memory checked. He had the tests and got the diagnosis.”

“For Bryan, memory was his thing, and to have it taken away from you when you have been a professional actor for 52 years is upsetting. Yes, you can use tricks and all the rest of it, but when you can’t remember, it’s hard.”

Bryan said: “As a younger actor, I would get a script, it would be four pages and within 15 minutes I would know the lines. As I got older, I couldn’t do that any longer.”

“I had no problem telling the people in Fair City my memory was shot, that after half an hour of reading a script, I had no recollection of it.”

“They really could have said, well if you can’t learn your lines, you can’t be in the show, but they did the exact opposite and that got rid of one of my biggest fears,” he added, praising the crew for their support following his diagnosis.

Bryan said: “I really wanted to let it be known this was my situation and that for anyone who’s been recently diagnosed, there is an answer to it.”

“It’s not the end of the world. It’s the changing of your world, but it’s not the end.”

“I wish I didn’t have it, but I do have it, and I’m still here. I have it and I am working with it.”