Seán Rocks

Sincere condolences Catherine on the death of Seán. He shortened my winter evenings, listening to his warm,erudite voice on the radio. He was unique. I will remember you and your boys in my prayers.

Dearest Catherine, Christian & Morgan, we are utterly heartbroken for you & Pádraig, Siobhán, Ciarán, Gráinne, Hannah, Matthew & all your family on the passing of your beloved dear Seán.
May dear Seán rest in peace.
We feel privileged to have such beautiful memories of dear Seán & you, with all the great chats- warm, funny, arty- we had after a day's work in Holy Cross NS, Catherine.
Sophie was also privileged that she was able to mind Malteser for Seán & later to babysit lovely Christian.
Other lovely connections are that my mother, Marie, was a Ronaghan from Monaghan Town & knew Seán's
parents & my sister, Colette, was in his year in Carysfort.
Seán's natural talent in delivering a superb, thoroughly-researched, entertaining Arts Show in ARENA will be so missed.
Dear Catherine, you, Christian, Morgan & all the family are in our thoughts & prayers.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
Sincerely with love,
Denise, Mike & Sophie Lynch Kemp
Sandyford, Dublin.

My evenings are just not the same without your wonderful programme which l never missed an episode. Sean, you helped me keep in touch with all our wonderful Irish artists, autors and films as l haven't lived in Ireland since the 1990's. You always asked the questions l wanted to ask. My thoughts go out to your family, friends and all your RTE family. Rest in peace, you will be missed.

I was blessed and privileged to have had Seán as a close friend and confidant since first meeting him in Carysfort college 47 years ago. We went there to train to be teachers and learn to be men. Needless to say, the latter took a lot longer than the former. We also got to work together several times as actors and he was our best man for our wedding. The last text I exchanged with Seán was less than a week before he was so cruelly and suddenly taken from us and was about something we were supposed to do together in August.
I have taken so much consolation and solace from the beautiful words and feelings expressed in these 13 pages of condolences. I would now like to add our sympathies and send our condolences to Catherine, Christian and Morgan as well as Pádraig, Siobhán, Ciarán, Gráinne, Kevin, Hannah, Matthew and Jack. Cailiúnt ollmhór, crualach daoibhse, duinne agus do na h-ealaíona. Aireofar uainne uilig é go deo. Ar dheis Dé go raibh anam Sheáin, agus le imeacht ama, go dtabharfaidh na cuimhneacháin agus an grá a bhí aige daoibh agus agaibhse dó sólás daoibh.
Never before was the phrase so apt. Ní bheidh do leithéid arís ann mo chara dílis, grámhar.
Suaimhneas síoraí le d'anam uasal.

What a fitting tribute to Seán delivered by Brendan Gleeson earlier at The Weir . Its simplicity of sentiment summed up all that the man was to all who had the privilege of either hearing his many programmes on Arena or participating in them as guests. This gem was the highlight of my radio listening each week . But what a momentous loss he is to his dear family. May he rest in peace.

We will miss Seán's voice bringing culture to our kitchens for over a decade and his presence at the school.
Our deepest sympathy to the boys and Catherine. Wishing you every comfort and support as you navigate your loss.

So sad to hear of Seán's passing. What a loss for the Arts in this country. I always loved tuning in, even if I hadn't heard of the guest beforehand, Seán had a way of making everything on the show interesting and relatable. I, along with lots of others I'm sure, will miss his lovely voice filling our homes.

Mo chomhbhrón ó chroí do chlann Sheáin.Leaba i measc na naomh.Fear uasal, lách.Eolas den scoth ar an íliomad ábhar.Ní bheidh a leithéad ann arís.Cad a dheánfaimíd feasta gan Seán?

My deepest sympathies to all of Seán's family and his loved ones. I was with Seán on Arena shortly before he left us and he was such a warm and gentle host as ever. We chatted afterwards in the corridor, as was usual with Seán, because his enthusiasm and encouragement for artists was always genuine and uplifting. Anytime I visited Arena we always ended up chatting long afterwards. I also have fond memories of Seán's brilliant performances on stage. Frank Pig Says Hello remains one of my most memorable experiences in the theatre ever since I saw it in Dublin in the early nineties. We have lost a true champion for the arts in Ireland but his gentle enduring presence will remain in his example as a broadcaster of great decency.

Deepest sympathies Catherine to you and your boys, Christian and Morgan, on the sudden and untimely death of your beloved Sean. I am so sorry for your heartbreaking loss. Orla and family from Lovers Lane, and Gaelscoil na F.

My deepest sympathies to the Rocks family on the passing of Sean. What a wonderful broadcaster and purveyor of the arts on radio he was. A man of the people who trusted us to embrace the arts as he knew intuitively how to make arts & culture accessible. Evening listening became a salve for us faithful departed as his wonderful voice and ease of phrase brought me home to Ireland - as only the radio can do.

I’ve been home the last few weeks and heard people talk of how much he is missed. My cousin worked with him as a teacher and told me of the gifts he brought to the class room & what great craic he was. He was truly loved by all.

Thanks Sean for all you have given and may you rest in peace.

Deepest condolences and sympathy to Siobhan and the Rocks family on the sudden and untimely death of Sean. It was a pleasure to listen to Sean speaking on Arena in his soft Monaghan accent with his breath of knowledge on the arts and culture. May his gentle soul Rest in Peace.

Sean discussed the arts without a hint of being pretentious or grandiose. I remember exactly where I was when I first tuned into and noticed Arena hosted by Sean. I was driving on the N18 about 4 years ago near the Shannon Estuary heading towards West Cork from Galway on a driving holiday out west and it struck me straight away that this was radio and broadcasting at its finest. Sean brought the arts to the masses and to people like myself with just a passing interest. RIP Sean.

We were so very sorry to hear of Sean's passing. Thinking of you all Catherine, Christian and Morgan, and sending you our deepest condolences.

Sincere sympathy on Seán's passing.

Sincere condolences to Mrs Catherine Rocks, Christian, Morgan, Pádraig, Siobhán, Ciarán, Gráinne, Luisa, Kevin, Hannah, Matthew, the extended Rocks Family Circle, good neighbours, work colleagues at RTE Radio, numerous Arena listeners and acquaintances in Ireland and worldwide on the passing of Seán.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this extremely difficult time.
" The Lord is My Shepherd " Psalm 23

Sincere condolences to the Rocks family on the death of Seán. May he rest in peace.

Sincere sympathy to Catherine, Christian, Morgan and on all the Rocks family on the sad and untimely passing of your beloved Seán. A familiar voice in many a home and car on Arena; a great presenter and advocate for the Arts. I listened more intently to the replay of his interview with Claire Keegan in the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire; replayed in his honour. Perhaps he is continuing to interview and present above now! Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

I was very saddened to hear that Sean had died. Much too young. I knew him briefly through Music Network, but mostly from listening to Arena. He is irreplaceable. Sincere condolences to all his family.

So sorry for your great loss Catherine, Christian, Morgan
It was always a joy to listen to Sean at end of day; something of a meditation to hear his voice coming down the air waves, all that was new, current and historic.
Still rush to get home for 7 but aah, I remember you all each evening.
Tabhair aire agus mile maith agaibh go leir.

Pat
Cork City

Deepest sympathies to the Rocks family on the sudden passing of your beloved Sean. He was a peerless presenter ,always well prepared,knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He simplified difficult concepts and made the Arts world accessible to all. His mind sparkled with wonder at everything and his curiosity was infectious.
His energy and presence always seemed to bring out the best in his guests and he had a great talent for connecting with people (even the most difficult ones !).
He touched the lives of many and Arena will never be the same without him. He will not be forgotten.
To live in the minds of those we leave behind is not to die.

As another great Monaghan man once said:

"Oh, you are not lying in the wet clay,
For it is a harvest evening now
and we are piling up the ricks against the moonlight
And you smile up at us --- eternally."

Sympathy to all Seán's friends and listeners. RIp seán

I tuned into Arena in my kitchen every evening and loved Sean's wonderful voice and how he made arts accessible to the "ordinary person". He is a huge loss to the world of radio and an immeasurable loss to his wife, children and family. May he rest in peace.

I am a radio listener and loved Arena.
Sean you will be so missed, I loved your radio show.
My deepest condolences to Catherine & family. May Sean rest in peace

I was so saddened to hear of the passing of Sean Rocks. I listened to him every evening and felt I knew him, even though I didn’t. He was such a fantastic presenter. Arena will never be the same again. May he rest in peace condolences to all his family .

Thanks S. A great host and presenter, so knowledgeable on all topics. A champion of the underdog. Condolences

Comhbhrón leis an gClan ar fad
Beannacht Dé lena Anam

Our condolences to all the family on the sad passing of Sean may he Rest in peace.

Sympathy to Seán's family and Arena listeners. What a loss.

Sincere condolences to Grainne and all of Sean’s family and friends at this sad time. Rest in peace.

I was deeply saddened to hear of Seans passing. We were colleagues in Castaway Actors Agency many many years ago. Such a warm lovely man, wonderful actor and a very kind person. I loved listening to Sean on Arena, he was so insightful and passionate in his approach to his interviews and the many different artists he spoke with. I will so miss listening and will be forever proud to have known him.
My deepest sympathies to Catherine Morgan and Christian. Rest in Peace Sean. Margaret

My deep sympathy goes to Seán's family and friends and colleagues in RTE and elsewhere. As an 'Arts and Humanities' labourer one of my great joys has always been listening to the wonderful French public radio station wholly dedicated to culture ('France Culture'). The other abiding joy has been tuning in to 'Arena'. Wonderful as its programming is, nothing I ever heard on 'France Culture' could outshine the daily injection of living, breathing culture that 'Arena' brought into my kitchen, my car, my walks each weekday evening. I know there must have been a wonderful working village around Seán but for me, a Dundalk woman with a connection to Monaghah, his voice embodied all that is thoughtful and graceful, authentic and life-enhancing about the human connection to the Arts. His listeners know how blessed they were and are now bereft. May Seán rest in peace and may his loved ones find solace.

Sincere condolences to the Rocks family on the death of Sean. Thinking of you all at this sad time. May his gentle soul rest in eternal peace.

Sincere condolences to Seán's family, colleagues and friends.

I met Seán for routine hospital visits years ago.
My colleagues and I would love the days he visited our department and we would fight over who could admit him, and spend the extra hour chatting to him about his Arena show!!
Always kind, courteous and smiling. So proud of his beloved wife and newly born son Christian.
Rest in peace Seán

A true gentleman 🙏

I was so sad to hear of Seán's death. I never met him, but felt I knew him , seeing as he was in my kitchen every evening. My children were wise enough not to interrupt my listening and learning about so many varied subjects in the Arts world. It was always an education, guiding me in new directions of exploration. Thinking of his family and friends at this time and into the future. Their loss cannot be quantified. The light he emitted in life lives on in them and in the choices they make. So sorry for your loss.

Deeply saddened by Seán’s death. So many wonderful memories of our childhood with the Rocks family. Our sincere sympathy to Seán’s family, Catherine and his sons. And to Pádraig, Siobhán, Ciarán, Gráinne and families. May he RIP.

Sincere condolences to the Rocks family on the sad passing of Sean. May he Rest in Peace.

Thank you Catherine Christian and Morgan for sharing Seán with us. Such a great human being and such entertainment and education as he treated us to. Slán leis. Rath Dé oraibh agus ar a chlann go léir.

Sincere condolences to all Sean's family and work colleagues....always loved listening to his Arena programmes, he was so interesting and knowledgeable on all arts forms and interested in his guests and always showed such courtesy. He will be greatly missed on the airwaves and no doubt by his family...RIP Sean 🙏

Deepest sympathies to Sean’s family and siblings. Sean made Arena literally, essential listening every evening at 7pm. A wonderful interviewer with supreme knowledge and wit.

A true gentleman from Monaghan.

May he Rest in peace.

Déanaim comhbhrón ó chroí libh. I'm not an Arts person but listening to Arena most evenings I felt a little less ignorant, and more connected to the topic. Seán was a joy to listen to each evening as I prepared dinner, with his wit, and knowledge shining through, with no ego. May you feel the listeners' arms around you in your grief. Beannachtaí

So sad to hear of the loss of Sean. It is so strange not to hear his voice..thank you Sean for bringing such love and knowledge to us across the airwaves
Sympathies to all his family and friends.

Sincere condolences to Sean's beloved family. Your pain is immeasurable, God grant that you are able to bear it as best you can. On my return to Irleand 13 years ago after many years as an emigrant in England Sean wonderful programe and his wonderful ways eased me back into living a full life in Ireland. Go raibh maith agat, a Sheáin

Sean was the reason I was often late home. I'd stay in the car, or drive a little further to listen to Arena. Such a sad loss for all his family. Rest in peace

Sincere condolences to the Rocks family on the death of Seán. May he rest in peace.

To Sean's family, Catherine and his boys, and extended family. I was in Radio 1 when Sean debuted his time there, over 16 years ago now..I remember his first day, and him beaming from ear to ear, and the first time he put on those headphones, and the red light came on.. Sean you were just made for Radio, it was really your medium. May your gentle soul rest in peace.

This World is not Conclusion,
A Species stands beyond -
Invisible, as Music -
But positive, as Sound -

By Emily Dickinson

My deepest condolences to Sean’s family. 7pm in my house won’t be the same again without Sean’s calm voice filling me in on the comings and going’s of the arts. Amazing man. Rest in peace Sean .

Sincere condolences to Catherine, Christian and Morgan. We are terribly sorry to hear of Seán's untimely passing and will miss meeting him at the school gates every morning.

Seán Rocks was a remarkable man, shaped by family, home place, studies in Carysfort College (where I knew him) and beyond, but also by gifts that he nurtured carefully and used to such good effect. My deep sympathy goes to his wife and children and to all who knew and loved him.

I was shocked and saddened to hear of Sean's passing. He is irreplaceable on the radio. He was the best. A few weeks ago while listening i decided to contact RTE and tell them it was worth paying the licence fee for him alone. Regrettably i never got around to doing it. My evenings cooking dinner and listening to his lovely voice will never be the same again. Condolences to his family and friends.

Condolences to all of Seàn Rocks family , what a loss . I can’t imagine your heartache.
I listened to Arena every evening and never failed to wonder at Seàns intelligence and his knowledge. I know practically nothing about opera or classical music but after listening to Seàn conducting an interview on either, I felt I knew something about these particular arts.
Rest easy Seàn Rocks 🕊️

Sean accompanied me through basic and complicated cooking during difficult circumstances.

Heard of his death abroad.
So sad.
Death of an un-met friend.
Much sympathies to his family.
x
Laura Farrell & Family

Very saddened to hear of Seán’s untimely passing. Deepest condolences to his wife and family. He was a joy to listen to.

I was so sorry to hear of Séan’s sudden passing. My folks and Jennifer always spoke very warmly of him, especially when you and Sean visited them in Tralee.

Thinking of you during this incredibly difficult time, and sending heartfelt condolences to you, Christian, Morgan, and all of Sean’s family.

This evening on RTÉ 1, I listened to a replay of a live event Seán hosted with Kila. My heart broke again a little, as it was like Seán was back on our radios. Sadly, 7.00 pm will not be the same without his presence in our home as we’d sit down to dinner. I enjoyed his reviews, interviews and knowledgable commentary. Rest well Seán with the spirits of those gone before you, many whom we heard on your show. Sympathy to Catherine, to Sean’s sons, and to his extended family. Theresa, Dublin

I’d only started listening to Sean Rocks a few months ago on Arena as I drove up and down the country. I always looked forward to listening in to such an interesting and eloquent presenter with such joy. I didn’t know the man at all but it was as if I did, I was distraught to hear of his sudden and untimely passing. Such was the beautiful soul of this man. He inspired me and many other. A job so well done 🙏 May he soar high 🪶

I was so so sorry to hear of Sean’s passing , he was my radio therapy.
And his knowledge knew no bounds.
Sincere condolences 💐

We've lost a superb presenter, warm colleague and wonderful man.

Getting called up to work on Arena has always been a privilege during my time at RTÉ, particularly because you got to work with Seán Rocks.

You would never get tired of his knowledge, enthusiasm and wit - on or off-air. He was one of my favourite people to work with and I'm terribly sad that he's gone.

I offer my condolences to his family, the Arena team, my colleagues and all the artists who have lost a champion for their work.

RIP Seán.

I unfortunately can’t be there to say goodbye to Sean in person as am away. Sean was a gentleman, a fantastic actor, a brilliant champion of the arts and a broadcaster whose show shaped a sector.
My thoughts go out to his family and many friends.
Síocháin shíoraí dá anam