Co Monaghan broadcaster and actor Seán Rocks has died at the age of 64.
Mr Rocks began presenting programmes on RTÉ Lyric FM in 2000 and became the voice of Arena on RTÉ Radio 1.
As a result of his role as anchor on ARENA, he has interviewed major artists across all artforms including Emma Thompson, Salman Rushdie, Edna O’Brien, Martin Sheen, Danny De Vito, Saoirse Rónan, John Banville, Brendan Gleeson, Roddy Doyle, Angel Gheorgjiu, Janis Ian, Peggy Seeger, Steve Reich and many more. There have been numerous outside broadcasts from major national arts festivals and public interviews with figures in both the national and international arts worlds.
Seán has also worked extensively as an actor both at home and abroad, appearing at the Abbey, Peacock, and Gate Theatres and with many important independent companies including Rough Magic, Druid and Field Day, and at the Royal Court, National, Donmar Warehouse and Tricycle theatres in London. Seán regularly hosted concerts and major national events and was MC at the State Banquet in Dublin Castle for the 2011 visit of Queen Elizabeth to Ireland.
Well-known to listeners right across the country, Seán Rocks was raised in Monaghan town with his two brothers and two sisters.
It's reported that the Co Monaghan man died in Dublin last night following a brief illness.
He is survived by his beloved Catherine, his sons Morgan and Christian and his wide circle of family and friends.
In a statement issued to Northern Sound, Kevin Bakhurst, RTÉ Director-General, said: "It is with enormous shock and sadness that we learned today of Seán's untimely passing. Seán said once: "Radio is never about the presenter. It's about the person who is opposite you.
!Loyal listeners, especially to Seán's beloved and long-running Arena on RTÉ Radio 1, will recognise the man in that quote: modest yet learned; subtle yet probing; curious yet polite. The listener at home was always his focus. Not only is radio the poorer for his passing, but so too has Ireland lost one of its most passionate advocates for the arts, and one of its most informed and versatile voices. I want to extend my most sincere sympathies to Seán's beloved Catherine, his children Christian and Morgan, his friends, and his colleagues at this terrible time."
