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BreakingNews.ie
8 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Seán Rocks: Funeral of RTÉ broadcaster to take place in his hometown Monaghan
The funeral of RTÉ broadcaster and actor Seán Rocks will take place in his hometown of Monaghan on Monday. Mr Rocks, who was the host of arts and culture programme Arena on RTÉ Radio 1, died suddenly at St Vincent's University Hospital on Wednesday following a short illness. Advertisement The 64-year-old, who lived in Dundrum in Dublin, had been on air the previous Friday. In a notice on Mr Rocks' family offered their thanks to the staff at the intensive care unit in St Vincent's for the 'excellent and devoted care' they gave him. They also expressed their appreciation for the kindness extended to them by staff onsite at a very difficult time. Mr Rocks will lie in repose at Clerkins Funeral Home Milltown, Monaghan, on Saturday and Sunday from 3pm until 6pm. The funeral procession will arrive to St Macartan's Cathedral in Monaghan on Monday for 11am mass with burial in the adjoining cemetery. The funeral service will be live streamed. Advertisement Paying tribute to Mr Rocks earlier this week, RTÉ director-general Kevin Bakhurst said his death was an 'enormous shock'. Ireland Seán Rocks, presenter of RTÉ radio's culture show... Read More He said: 'Seán said once: 'Radio is never about the presenter. It's about the person who is opposite you.' 'Loyal listeners, especially to Sean's beloved and long-running Arena on RTE 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 Sean's beloved Catherine, his children Christian and Morgan, his friends, and his colleagues at this terrible time.'
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Tracing Scotland's Soul: Two artists, one landscape at Glasgow Gallery
(Image: Bridget Hunter's 'A Favourite Blue') Bridget Hunter's work greets you first: coastal scenes bathed in soft light, wildflowers arranged just so, and still lifes that somehow feel alive with sea air and salt. Her palette is warm, but not sentimental; these are not postcard views but lived-in spaces. You sense she knows these places well — not just their shape, but their silence. Bridget is a painter based on the South West coast of Scotland whose work is rooted in a deep appreciation for the everyday and the wild beauty of her surroundings. Inspired by artists such as Joan Eardley, Pierre Bonnard, Ivon Hitchens and Barbara Rae, she captures still life and Scottish landscapes, particularly Loch Doon and the West Coast islands, with warmth, energy, and a strong sense of place. Often sketching outdoors or around her home, Bridget uses a variety of mark-making tools, from watercolour brushes to oil pastels. While some of her paintings begin en plein air, her recent work leans toward abstraction, exploring mood, colour, and memory. A passionate draughtswoman, she continues to hone her observational skills through life drawing, believing it to be the foundation of all great art. (Image: Julie Smith's 'Cloud Bank Over Harris') Then you step into Julie Smith's world — a shift in tone, like stepping into deeper water. Her pieces are layered, elemental. Paint clings to panels textured with sand, wool, even coal. Glints of copper and silver flicker beneath translucent washes. Smith's landscapes are less about what you see, and more about what you feel standing there — the wind, the stories beneath your feet, the long shadow of history. Julie is best known for her semi-abstract interpretations of the Scottish landscape. Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, she worked as a stained-glass artist and framer for many years until attending painting classes at Glasgow School of Art. Julie became an occasional practical art tutor at the University of Glasgow's Centre for Adult & Continuing Education but now concentrates solely on painting. Working in oil over a watercolour base, she pays particular attention to the preparation of her painting surface. Board is textured with Orkney wool as well as sand or sea washed coal- shards from the [[Ayr]]shire coast. Metal leaf is then carefully placed, sealed and masked before several layers of acrylic gesso are applied around it. Together, their work forms a kind of duet: Hunter the observer, Smith the interpreter. One reaches outward, the other downward — but both are anchored in the Scottish land and its changing light. (Image: Bridget Hunter's 'Red Roof Carrick') There's something deeply personal in this pairing. Both artists draw from memory, from walks taken and weather felt, but they bring it to canvas in such different ways. What unites them isn't style, but spirit — a reverence for the places that shaped them. As exhibitions go, this isn't one to rush through. It invites lingering, looking twice. Perhaps even seeing something of your own history reflected in the brushwork. Whether you come for the opening on 2 August or slip in quietly later in the month, one thing is clear: this is more than an art show. It's a map of emotion, etched in pigment and place. Opening event: Saturday 2 August, 2–4 pm (all welcome) Exhibition runs: 2–30 August Venue: The Glasgow Gallery, 182 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4HG Website:
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Seán Rocks, presenter of RTÉ radio's culture show Arena, dies aged 63
RTÉ Radio presenter and actor Seán Rocks has died, RTÉ have announced. He died on Wednesday night following a brief illness, aged 63. Advertisement Mr Rocks presented RTÉ Radio One's nightly arts and culture show Arena since it began in 2009, and recently presented a Sunday afternoon programme on RTÉ Lyric FM, where his radio career began in 2000. Arena aired Monday to Friday from 7pm to 8pm, and Mr Rocks was on air as recently as last Friday. RTÉ Director General Kevin Backhurst said that Mr Rocks' death came with "enormous shock and sadness". "Loyal listeners, especially to Seán's beloved and long-running Arena on RTÉ Radio One, will recognise the man in that quote: modest yet learned; subtle yet probing; curious yet polite. The listener at home was always his focus. Advertisement "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," Mr Backhurst said. Mr Rocks, who grew up in Monaghan Town, was well regarded for his public interviews with authors such as Salman Rushdie, Edna O'Brien, and Roddy Doyle, and actors such as Rupert Everett, Martin Sheen and Brendan Gleeson. He was also beloved by listeners for his wide-ranging studio interviews with composers and playwrights, authors and filmmakers and songwriters. Mr Rocks also guest-presented, produced and wrote several series for the national broadcaster and won a Silver Medal at the New York Festival of Radio for the documentary Soul of Ireland for BBC Radio 4. Advertisement He previously 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. His television and film roles included The Bill, Glenroe, Fair City, Dear Sarah and Go Now. Mr Rocks was MC at the State Banquet for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland and at several state events at Áras an Uachtaráin. RTÉ's director of audio, Patricia Monahan, said that Mr Rocks' passion for radio and the arts was "infectious". "The curiosity with which he approached topics ranging from cinema to theatre and books to classical music was compelling to listen to. He was interested in everyone's point of view and had a great ability to command an audience's attention. He was never more at home than when he was on stage. "He was full of energy and ambition for the future and is a huge untimely loss to radio and RTÉ," she said.
