'Surprise twist' for Fair City's Clelia Murphy departure from the soap this week

Fair City's Clelia Murphy is set to hang up her boots as Niamh Brennan this week after 22 years on the soap, and while we are already told in October of her imminent departure, it seems there's a little more to it than expected.

According to RTÉ, there's a 'surprise twist in store' for Paul Brennan ahead of Niamh's departure, which we are assuming now has something to do with Marcus (Luke Pierucci,) who rocked back up to Carrickstown last night with an offer for Niamh to manage one of his hotels in Fiji.

We're assuming she will accept this but what about young Ruth? Will she be taking her adopted daughter with her? Or is that the surprise twist in store?

So many questions.

Or is that she's actually be having an affair with Leo Dowling all this time and will sail off into the sunset with him?

Okay, we jest, but you wouldn't know with that Carrigstown lot, as Will Ferrell once said, "In Fair City, nothing is fair".

An RTÉ spokesperson said recently of Clelia's departure from the soap, "She'll be greatly missed, but you never know when Niamh Brennan might reappear in Carrigstown to ruffle feathers like only she can!"

Our money is on that she is just off to do a stint on Dancing with the Stars in January, but we have zero confirmation on that. We should know soon enough though, with last year's lineup revealed in early December.

Until then, you can watch Niamh's final scenes on Fair City tonight and tomorrow night on RTE One at 8pm.