"People paid their respects at the funeral of Seaán Rocks in Monaghan, a town where he was deeply admired"
Respected Radio Presenter and Actor Sean Rocks Laid to Rest in Monaghan
Sean Rocks, the beloved RTÉ radio presenter and actor, was laid to rest in his native town of Monaghan on Wednesday, following a brief illness. Rocks was 64 years old.
Known for hosting RTÉ Radio 1’s nightly arts and culture magazine, Arena, since its start in 2009, Rocks also presented a Sunday afternoon programme on RTÉ lyric fm, where his radio career began in 2000. His modest, learned, and thoughtful style, with a strong focus on engaging listeners and a passionate advocacy for the arts in Ireland, endeared him to many.
Rocks is survived by his wife Catherine and sons Christian and Morgan. His colleagues described him as a brilliant broadcaster who made guests feel welcome and commanded audience attention with his infectious passion for radio and the arts. Mourners remembered him as kind, patient, warm, and humorous, with a great sense of wit and a deep connection to his Monaghan roots.
President Michael D Higgins was among the mourners at Rocks's funeral, along with actors Stephen Rea, Ciarán Hinds, Aidan Gillen, Bronagh Gallagher and Stanley Townsend, musicians Julie Feeney, Camille O’Sullivan and Colm Mac Con Iomaire, novelists Patrick McCabe and Sinéad Gleeson, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin's representative, Commandant Joseph Glennon. Sabina Higgins, the wife of President Michael D Higgins, extended her sympathies to Rocks's wife Catherine.
Music was performed at the funeral by Rocks's family and friends, including Conor Linehan, Ellen Cranitch, Ailish Lavelle, Martin McCormack, the Monaghan Folk Group, and Seamus Moran. Gráinne Rice, Rocks's sister, sang a version of Be Not Afraid at the funeral.
Canon Paddy McGinn, who spoke at the funeral, expressed his questions about Rocks's death, saying "We have many questions... Why Sean? Sometimes we have no answers." Canon McGinn read out tributes and letters of sympathy written on RIP.ie, including one from Helen from Dooks in Co Kerry, who quoted Raymond Carver: "And did you get what/ you wanted from this life, even so?/ I did. And what did you want?/ To call myself beloved, to feel myself/beloved on the earth."
Rocks attended St Louis school in Monaghan town and Carysfort College to become a teacher. He did his master’s degree in Anglo-Irish literature at UCD, where Seamus Heaney was one of his lecturers. Rocks was also deeply devoted to the arts, performing in plays in the Abbey, Gate, and Peacock theatres. A pair of headphones, a box of Seamus Heaney poetry, a wooden spoon, a theatre award, and a family photograph were presented at the altar as symbols of Rocks's love for family and the arts.
Outside the cathedral, memories of Rocks were shared, with many recalling his sense of mischief, charm, and tremendous abilities as an actor and broadcaster. Rocks's sons, Christian and Morgan, were present at the funeral, wearing blazers and trainers.
The nation was said to have loved Rocks, with his voice described as soothing and consoling. Among his achievements were serving as MC at events at Áras an Uachtaráin and the State banquet at Dublin Castle for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011.
Rocks met his wife Catherine in 2004, and they had two sons, Christian born in 2015 and Morgan in 2017. Marion O’Dwyer, a great friend of Rocks, described him as someone who would send a personal podcast instead of a voice note.
The funeral of Sean Rocks was a touching tribute to a man who will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and the nation.
Celebrities from the arts and entertainment industry attended Sean Rocks's funeral, including actors Stephen Rea, Ciarán Hinds, Aidan Gillen, Bronagh Gallagher, and Stanley Townsend.
Sean Rocks's love for entertainment was evident throughout his career, as he hosted radio shows, performed in plays, and even served as MC at events in Áras an Uachtaráin and Dublin Castle.
