Seán Rocks presents ARENA, RTÉ Radio 1’s flagship arts, popular culture and entertainment programme which is broadcast at 7p.m. Mon-Fri.
He has been in the role since 2009 and has interviewed major writers, actors, musicians and artists including Salman Rushdie, Martin Amis, Edna O’Brien, Martin Sheen, Danny De Vito, Saoise Rónan, John Banville, Brendan Gleeson, Roddy Doyle, Steve Reich and Marina Carr. There have been numerous outside broadcasts from major national arts festivals and public interviews with figures in both the national and international arts worlds. He has also anchored ARENA’s annual live 3-hour broadcasts from Meeting House Square and Dublin Castle as part of Culture Night.
He has worked with RTÉ Radio since 2000 presenting several daytime programmes on RTÉ lyric fm including The Lyric Breakfast and Lunchtime Choice. He has also guest-presented, produced, and written several series for the national broadcaster and also presented the documentary “Soul of Ireland” for BBC Radio 4 which won a Silver Medal at the New York Festival of Radio in 2015.
Sean regularly hosts concerts and major events at venues around the country and when Queen Elizabeth visited Ireland in 2011, Sean was MC at the State Banquet in Dublin Castle.
Prior to broadcasting Seán 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 here in Ireland, and at the Royal Court, National, Donmar Warehouse and Tricycle theatres in London.
He is delighted to be in Ennis this year as part of the Festival. He is originally from Monaghan.