Culture | Books, Music, Theatre, Film & The Arts

The best of Sean Rocks - classics from the Arena archives

For Culture Night 2025, we asked Guest Editor Belinda McKeon to select some highlights from the hundreds of interviews and performances hosted by Sean Rocks for RTÉ Arena over the years...

Culture Night 2025 • 20 Sep

How Sean Rocks brought the arts to life on Ireland's airwaves

The intimacy of radio can be captured for me in a moment.

In Memoriam • 24 Aug

From The Archives: Claire Keegan talks to Sean Rocks

The arts community lost a great friend this weeks with the loss of Seán Rocks, the presenter of Arena.

Claire Keegan • 02 Aug

RTÉ's Sean Rocks remembered - 'A wise lovely Monaghan man'

Sean Rocks RIP. What a shocking bit of news.

In Memoriam • 31 Jul

Artist Amanda Coogan: Irish Sign Language is my first language

Performance artist Amanda Coogan has collaborated with the Dublin Theatre of the Deaf, for a show in this year's Dublin Fringe Festival entitled Talk Real Fine, Just Like a Lady. Amanda joined Seán Rocks on RTÉ Arena to explain where it all began.

Theatre • 20 Sep 23

Return to Downton Abbey - Allen Leech talks to RTÉ Arena

RTÉ Arena • 01 May 22

Máire Mhac an tSaoi remembered - RTÉ Arena on a poetry legend

RTÉ Arena • 20 Oct 21

First Fortnight presents My Story My Song on Sunday 17th January

My Story My Song one of the musical highlights of the First Fortnight festival takes place online this Sunday 17th January.

First Fortnight • 15 Jan 21

Make it Scream, Make it Burn - Leslie Jamison talks to RTÉ Arena

Widely considered one of the voices of her generation, essayist Leslie Jamison's Make it Scream, Make it Burn is a series of essays and long-form journalism, offering meditations on isolation and longing.

RTÉ Arena • 23 Oct 20

Review: Mark Lanegan's Sing Backwards and Weep

In the annals of music history, grunge will be remembered for the early demises of many of its leading protagonists, just as much as the distorted power chords and thrift-shop aesthetic.

Culture • 06 May 20

Funny Ha, Ha: Paul Merton talks to RTÉ Arena

Comedian Paul Merton chats to Seán Rocks on RTÉ Arena about Funny Ha, Ha, his new anthology collecting his favourite funny stories of all time, featuring writers from Anton Chekhov and Ali Smith to P.G. Wodehouse and Nora Ephron.

Comedy • 21 Dec 19

(L-R) Arena's Sean Rocks with Genevieve Hulme-Beaman and Dan Colley

Collapsing Horse on their new show - and calling it a day

The award-winning Collapsing Horse theatre company are bringing their acclaimed production A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings comes to the Abbey's Peacock Stage for the Christmas season. It's also the company's farewell production...

RTÉ Arena • 05 Dec 19

Must see events at this year's Dublin Book Festival

The cold weather has set in and we can't think of anything better than curling up and reading a great book. The Dublin Book Festival kicks off Thursday 14th November with a packed programme of events.

Dublin Book Festival • 13 Nov 19

(L to R) Nicola Coughlan, Alex Murphy, Jordanne Jones and Moe Dunford at All Together Now

Listen: All-star RTÉ Arena live from All Together Now

Seán Rocks presents RTÉ Radio 1's Arena live from the Now At RTÉ tent at All Together Now, chatting to a quartet of Ireland's finest young actors - Derry Girl Nicola Coughlan, Young Offender Alex Murphy, Jordanne Jones and Moe Dunford.

RTÉ Radio 1 • 06 Aug 19

For folk's sake: Richard Thompson talks to RTÉ Arena

Folk-rock legend Richard Thompson, who will be appearing at the upcoming Kilkenny Arts Festival as part of his Irish tour, spoke to Sean Rocks on RTÉ Arena - listen to their interview.

RTÉ Radio 1 • 30 Jul 19

Kristen Roupenian - the 'Cat Person' author talks to Arena

Kristen Roupenian caused a sensation with her short story Cat Person, published in the New Yorker Magazine. The enigmatic tale of a toxic relationship struck a perfect chord with the #metoo movement, promptly went viral, and made Roupenian a star.

Books • 08 Feb 19

Something For The Weekend: Sean Rocks' Culture Picks

Culture • 15 Sep 16

Sean Rocks