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FAIR City’s Bryan Murray has vowed to keep acting bravely insisting that battling Alzeimher’s is not a death sentence.
The Dubliner, who was diagnosed with the debilitating condition four years ago, said it will not get in the way of his passion for performance.
Legend of stage and screen Bryan has been left with no short term memory but told how he has found workarounds to recite his lines.
The Irish Sunday Mirror caught up with the actor and his beloved partner on and off screen, Una Crawford O’brien, at their home in the capital.
Telly favourite Bryan, who starred in around 30 hit shows, is preparing for a stage run of An Old Song, Half Forgotten at the Abbey Theatre.
Bryan, 73, said: “I’m being fed all my lines into my ear by an actor outside, I don’t even have to look at a script.”
Una added: “It’s written by Deirdre Kinahan, one of the top of the heap at the moment.
“You never expect a playwright is going to come to you and tell you they’ll write you a play when you have Alzeimher’s.
“He plays an old actor who wrote down all these notes for himself in the early stages of dementia.
“It’s like art imitating reality.”
INSEPARABLE
The couple, who have become an institution playing Bob Charles and Renee Phelan on the RTE soap, are inseparable.
Bryan said: “Una is my Florence Nightingale.
“I have my other half right here and she is a tank multiplied by five.”
He described Una as his biggest fan and revealed she will not let anyone stop him from acting.
He added: “Anybody who gets in the way get out, she’s fantastic.
“If it wasn’t for Una I’d be a totally different human being.”
Opening up on his disease he added: “It’s not an easy thing to go with, but it’s not the end of the world.
“I haven’t been angry but it’s a pain in the butt... but they are desperately looking for a cure.”
Whiteboards and blackboards are dotted around their home to help Bryan to remember things.
Una added: “We have five reminders of the day to day things, but I still forget things.
“The hard bit is being the memory for the two of us.
“I get very stressed and some days are very difficult, there are days we have so much going on, I feel I can’t cope.
“But I have to because one of us has to.”
The devoted couple have found that singing helps to keep their spirits lifted.
Una explained: “We go to a memory choir in Crumlin on a Monday morning with lots of other Alzeimher’s patients and supporters.
“It’s fantastic, we sing everything from Edelweiss to Danny Boy.”
When quizzed about their love, she joked: “What romance? We sit in our
I haven’t been angry but it’s a pain in the butt BRYAN MURRAY ON HIS ALZHEIMER’S DIAGNOSIS
garden with our feet up and we start up the music and we’re ready to go.
“We like to go for long romantic strolls by the [River] Dodder with our dog Bob.
“I got Bob for Bryan the week he was diagnosed, it’s been the best thing.
“I try not to think about the future too much, I keep it in the day.”
To avoid worrying about Bryan when he’s alone Una uses a tracking app on their phones.
She explained: “I have him on the find my phone app.
“He has pals he goes in and meets once a month. When he’s in town I check he’s in the right location and when he leaves them I check that he’s gone to the right bus stop.”
Fair City bosses are supporting Bryan to continue his role as Bob on the series by hiding his scripts on set.
He explained: “They’ve been really fair, supporting me in learning lines.
“They put scripts on walls, they hold the scripts.
“You’ll find me reading a newspaper and there’s a script in there.”
The Abbey staff are moving barriers to help him too.
Una explained: “Rehearsing for the play, Sarah, our assistant, takes pictures and I put them up the next day on stage.
“It’s a reminder of what we did