Úna Crawford O’Brien shares health update on Bryan Murray
Úna Crawford O’Brien says bryan murray has been moved into full-time care after his Alzheimer’s deteriorated, she told a live broadcast this week. The actress described how his memory now holds only one name — the family dog, Bob — and why she made the decision she did. She also spoke about the private grief she has carried over the death of her daughter and the strain that care placed on their relationship.
Bryan Murray: memory, care and the dog Bob
Úna Crawford O’Brien, actress, Fair City, said bryan murray’s condition worsened to the point that full-time nursing care became necessary. She said he had tried to remain at work for as long as possible, with colleagues helping to cue lines, but ultimately the day-to-day demands overwhelmed home care. “I was determined to look after Bryan myself, but I just couldn’t in the end, ” she said, adding that the swings in mood and growing confusion made their life together untenable.
She described a striking detail of his memory loss: the only name he still calls is the dog’s. “The only person he really [knows], and it’s not a person really, is the dog, ” Úna said. “When I bring Bob in, he loves the dog. If we’re out walking, he’ll take the lead and at some stage he’ll say, ‘come on Bob’. That’s the only person that he calls by name now. It’s deep down. ” That image framed the narrow comforts remaining for the couple amid the wider decline.
Immediate reactions, social strain and personal grief
Úna Crawford O’Brien spoke candidly about the fallout she faced on social media after placing bryan murray into care, describing hurt at criticism and the spread of a false post that claimed he had died. “It wasn’t true and people were phoning me very upset, ” she said, calling the experience “just horrible. ” She stressed the careful thought behind her decision and the emotional toll of strangers’ judgments.
She also revisited a long-held personal tragedy: the death of her daughter from a cot death. Úna said the daughter would have been 36 this month and recalled the night she found the child unresponsive: “It was 9. 24pm and I went up and she was blue. It was horrendous. ” She reflected that grief affected her marriage and that, by the end, she and her partner had become close friends even as the previous year became “an awful year. “
What comes next
Úna Crawford O’Brien said she will continue regular visits and small rituals that still bring a response from bryan murray — singing, walks and time with the dog — and that those moments are what she can offer now. She warned that the arc of care often forces impossible choices and that public misunderstanding can compound the private burden. In the near term, the family will focus on sustaining those visits and protecting the dignity of the man she described on air.
Note: quotes and details in this article are drawn from Úna Crawford O’Brien’s on-air interview and her direct statements about care, memory and family loss.
