Mrs Brown's Boys star Rory Cowan has left the hit comedy show after 26 years, saying that he felt "it was time to go".

Cowan, who played Agnes' son Rory in Mrs Brown's Boys, took his final bow as part of Brendan O'Carroll's comedy troupe at London's O2 Arena on Sunday.

Speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, the actor said he felt "fabulous" after saying his goodbyes. 

Rory Cowan in the thick of the fun with the Mrs Brown's Boys gang

"I hadn't been happy working for the Mrs Brown's Boys company for the last 18 months to two years," he told the paper. "I feel that 26 years is enough so I decided it was time to go."

 "I told Brendan on June 16 about my decision to leave," Cowan explained. "That's when I handed in my notice.

"I was supposed to leave at the end of that week, but Brendan said that would be impossible and asked if I'd stay on until the end of the London O2 gigs. So I agreed to that."

"I feel that 26 years is enough so I decided it was time to go"

Cowan went for dinner with friends in London after the show but said there had been no backstage party at the O2 because he "left the way I wanted to go".

"I'm not going into details about why I was unhappy," he added. "I did the final show, packed my stuff into a small Waitrose plastic bag and just left the venue."

"I told Brendan on June 16 about my decision to leave," Rory Cowan explained. "That's when I handed in my notice"

As for the future, Cowan admitted he had "no clue" at present.

"I'd love to do something like a weekend radio show but we'll see what comes down the line," he said. For now I'm going to take a little time off."

In May it was announced that the Mrs Brown's Boys spin-off chat show, All Round to Mrs Brown's, will be back on screens next year after a hit first season.

All Round to Mrs Brown's is coming back in 2018