FORMER Mrs Brown's Boys star Rory Cowan has revealed that January was "really tough" for him this year.
The actor admitted that he was feeling down after the level 5 restrictions were put in place soon after the New Year.
Rory told how he struggled in January this year
He added that the dark evenings didn't help his mood.
He said: "I'm wonderful. I always say that I'm wonderful but I am sick of this.
"January was a hard month for me, it really was. It was a terrible month.
"It's just gone on too long. I'm sick of it, I want it over.
"I want to get vaccinated. I don't want to wait any linger but I have to I suppose.
"Normally I'm very positive but January I found very very hard this year.
"I don't know why. Maybe it was the weather or maybe it was just dark in the morning when you got up and then dark early in the evenings.
"Whatever it was I'd never felt like that before. It was really tough."
The Fair City star appeared on this morning's Ireland AM for their Donate to Dementia week which is raising much-needed funds for the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland.
'IT'S HARD'
Rory's mother Esther passed away from dementia back in 2018.
Speaking about his mum, the Dubliner recalled: "She always wanted to go everywhere.
"When I was on Mrs Brown's Boys and it was massive at the time so I was always getting photographs taken.
"My mother was with me and it was at the early stages of dementia and she used to keep saying to me, 'Why do they want the photographs of me?'
"And I was saying, 'Because you're lovely ma'. And she was thrilled, she was delighted."
Rory urged for people who know someone suffering with the illness to visit them often, once restrictions allow for it.
He said: "It's the same for everybody really with dementia, it's hard.
'HEART GOES OUT'
"When we're talking about Covid, everyone is talking about the mental health issues and people being and feeling isolated and stuff like that.
"People with dementia, people in nursing homes and elderly people living on their own - that's how they feel all the time because people aren't visiting them as often as they could.
"So when this is over I think everyone should just make an effort.
"If you know somebody that's old or somebody in a nursing home or somebody that has dementia, visit them.
"Visit them as often as you can because they'll appreciate it. Because what we're feeling now is what they feel all the time.
"My heart goes out to anybody who's caring for somebody with dementia at the moment."
Rory with his late mum Esther
'INCREDIBLY TOUGH'
Rory also told how he quit touring with Mrs Brown's Boys to look after his mum.
He said: "It's incredibly tough because you never know... I actually gave up Mrs Brown's Boys because of it, that was the main reason I left because I didn't want any regrets when she died.
"I just thought, 'I can't be on the road when she goes because that would stay with me and keep me awake at night'.
"Thankfully I can say I slept very well since my ma died because I did everything I could.
"I got carers in to look after her because I was able to afford that.
"But a lot of people, most people can't.
"As things were going on, my mother was getting worse and worse but she was being very well looked after."
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