Award winning Kerry pub one of just 33 venues to receive funding under support scheme
A total of 33 venues have been offered funding of up to €15,000 from the Night-Time Economy Grassroots Music Venues Support Scheme to support the continued programming of early-career musicians.
Applications were received from a wide range of late-night venues including pubs, nightclubs and theatres. Venues in many rural towns and villages are being supported, with funding awarded to 16 venues outside of our major cities.
Following the announcement of the Scheme in March 2025, there was a high level of interest in this pilot scheme, with nearly 100 applications submitted before the scheme was closed.
Those approved for funding met the scheme's eligibility criteria, which included a requirement to demonstrate evidence of a strong track record of regularly holding ticketed grassroots music events, showcasing emerging artists performing original music, spanning the years 2023-2024.
It's set to be a busy few months once more in the Listowel pub with a number of big name acts set to come to town.
Upcoming performances by Villagers and Kerry's very own Lorraine Nash are completely sold out while The Riptide Movement have just been announced to play there on the night of October 24.
Tralee's Seamus Harty meanwhile will play there on August 7. A full line up of what's on there in the coming months is available over on the bar's website where tickets can also be bought.
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- Irish Times
Reasons to love Dublin right now: 52 of our favourite things about the city
Louis McNeice nailed it eight decades ago when he immortalised our capital city in his poem Dublin : 'But yet she holds my mind/With her seedy elegance ... The glamour of her squalor, The bravado of her talk.' Ah, Dublin. The seedily-elegant city gets an awfully hard time these days. The housing crisis looms large, as do the apart-hotels springing up everywhere, not to forget the dilapidation that has always dogged our dirty old town. For years each winter, New York magazine has celebrated that city with its Reasons to Love New York Right Now edition. Inspired by them, we're celebrating all that is great about Dublin. We know she has plenty of problems (scarlet for you, Temple Bar) but when we asked our contributors for examples of all that is brilliant right now about the capital we couldn't hold them back: cultural happenings, community activism, remarkable watering holes, diverse food offerings and absurdities such as a few cherry tomatoes on a bridge becoming a bona-fide tourist attraction. READ MORE We're not blind to the city's shortcomings (or overpriced pints) but what follows is a celebration of the capital in all her current glory. The magic, the mischief and the unexpected moments that make Dublin one of the best little towns in the world. So here are some of the many reasons why we love Dublin right now ... (With thanks to Róisín Ingle, Corinna Hardgrave, Una Mullally, Roe McDermott, Olivia Kelly, Conor Pope, Emer McLysaght, Deirdre McQuillan, Sorcha Pollak, Conor Capplis, Rebecca Daly, Niamh Browne, Joanne Cronin, Malachy Clerkin, Madeleine Lyons, Laura Slattery, Cathal O'Gara, Gemma Tipton and Ella Sloane). Culture & nightlife Because the Hacienda is holding out against gentrification. Shay is one of Dublin's most beloved publicans. Always sporting an untied bow tie hung over a jazzy waistcoat and shirt, along with his signature coloured glasses, perhaps his greatest contemporary achievement is buttressing a unique bar from TikTok-loving tourists who confuse character with content. The pub – its exterior mimics a traditional Spanish cottage – has been there for decades in the market area between Capel Street and Smithfield. After you buzz the 'bar' bell, and Shay cracks the iron-gated door, gives you the once over, and – if you're lucky, or a regular – grants entry, inside you'll find a magical pub stuck in time, with its nautical theme, pool tables, and a jukebox that always reverts to The Eagles. Intimate and lively, quaint and fun, it is also beloved by visiting artists looking for a down-to-earth spot to grab a pint, or to celebrate film premieres and arena tours ( Taylor Swift booked it out for the after-party following her trio of concerts at the Aviva Stadium last summer). Sure, you can have a star on Hollywood Boulevard, but everyone knows that a framed photograph of you next to Shay on the wall of the Haci is the sign you've really made it. Now surrounded by apart-hotels, The Hacienda represents a space and attitude holding out against the homogenous corporate gentrification of the city. Protesters marching over the proposal to build a 114-room hotel around the Cobblestone pub in Smithfield, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill ... and the Cobblestone lives on. One of the great people's victories in Dublin in recent years was the success of the Cobblestone protest . The pub – a bastion of traditional music, song, dance, and the Irish language – was threatened with a hotel development in 2021. Artists and audiences alike sprang into action, holding protests in Smithfield and at the headquarters of Dublin City Council. Planning permission ultimately refused; culture was one of the reasons cited. The energy of this successful protest speaks to the thriving traditional music scene in the city, from which many brilliant, boundary-pushing contemporary acts have emerged. Away from the din of amplified tourist-baiting live music in Temple Bar, you'll still find authentic sessions in pubs across the city, and core to those is the Cobblestone. Because the Chamomile Club is proving Dublin can still be an exciting place for young artists. One of the most exciting collectives to come out of the city in recent years, the Chamomile Club encompasses parties, club nights, and music releases, featuring some of Ireland's most exciting acts, including Monjola, Moio, and Aby Coulibaly. From block parties on Fade Street to garden parties at Orlagh House, and events at The Workman's Club, The Complex, or other 'secret locations', their line-ups, design, and all-round energy is elevated and exciting. Other Dublin collectives, spaces and bands with a radical spirit include Dublin Digital Radio, Unit 44, and Bricknasty. Dublin is an expensive place to live, underserved with cultural spaces, and bigger cities are always calling. Yet these young artists and collectives are holding firm and inspiring others. Because the IFI and the Lighthouse are churches for film nerds. The seats are comfy, the coffee's good, the staff are all delightful film nerds, and the foyers feel like somewhere you might accidentally meet the love of your life. Arthouse cinema in Dublin is alive and well, with the IFI hosting the Family Film Festival this August, while the Lighthouse's programme is packed with the best new films as well as special screenings of classics like In The Mood For Love and Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon . Events like Cinema Book Club, GAZE and regular Q & As with writers and directors make these cinemas cultural hubs where no one will judge you for crying at a documentary about sheep. And if they do, they're in the wrong cinema. Throwing Shapes is a community ceramics studio in Dublin 8. Photograph: Alan Betson Because pottery fever is catching in the Liberties. Nestled away on Mill Street in the Liberties, you'll find a clay haven . Throwing Shapes is 'the equivalent of Ballymaloe, but for clay,' says its founder Síofra Murdock, a ceramicist from Co Down who is as cheery and colourful as the pieces on display in her studio. Curious passersby can't help but peer through the giant windows, plastered with bold red lettering – 'Your Community Ceramics Studio' – to see what's going on. It's a hub of activity, hosting workshops, talks and markets that attract queues down the street. The shelves are lined with hundreds of creations, decorative and functional, at varying degrees of completion – some already fired and glazed, others still blank canvases. Having just celebrated its first birthday in May, the magnetic force of the studio grows stronger by the week. One member has even packed up and moved house to have the pottery wheels within arm's reach. Murdock has hand-built a thriving clay community. Come and get your hands dirty. Because a Dublin storytelling event has gone global. Seanchoíche is a pop-up story telling night which encourages speakers to share personal anecdotes, prose, monologues, and spoken word. It gets its name from an amalgamation of seanchaíthe (the Irish for storytellers) and oíche (the Irish for night). The event, conceived in the Unesco city of literature, now runs in Belfast, Limerick, London, Amsterdam, Sydney, Melbourne. The night recently ran a slot on the Greenpeace Stage at Glastonbury – and if it's cool enough for Glasto, it's cool enough for us. Because the Silent Book Club at Mish Mash Café is a balm for the overstimulated brain . Silent Book Club comes with no pressure, no awkward icebreakers, no demands. Just turn up, order a coffee, read your book. For an hour or two, people sit in a hush that feels unusually generous – alone, together. The only thing you have to bring is a book and maybe the unspoken hope that the world can still make space for quiet, slow, communal moments. For introverts, it's heaven. For everyone else, it's an excellent excuse to finally read that novel. Forbidden Fruit at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham Because it's brilliant for live music. From blockbuster headliners like Taylor Swift at the Aviva and Bruce Springsteen at Croke Park, to up-and-coming Irish talent taking to the stage in the Academy or international indie acts playing the Olympia, Dublin easily pulls the live music weight of a city three times its size. It's not just the venues themselves that are special, but festivals such as Kilmainham's Forbidden Fruit and In The Meadows, to the propulsive dance beats of Longitude in Marlay Park. Catch emerging acts at smaller festivals like Whelan's We've Only Just Begun and Workman's Next Big Thing. Because we have the greatest (art) show on earth for free. In other capital cities people line up to pay admission to art galleries. In Dublin you can see Caravaggio, Vermeer (one of only 34 in the whole world) and more for absolutely nothing at the National Gallery. Or wander into the Hugh Lane, for their heart-soothing Impressionist collection, alongside the world-famous Francis Bacon Studio. Right now, Ailbhe Ní Bhriain's hauntingly beautiful Dream Pool Intervals is on show there too, ending September 28th. Because our contemporary art museum is so much more. An art gallery you can do yoga at? Tick. Not only does the Irish Museum of Modern Art have a collection that's jam packed with goodies (Daphne Wright, Dorothy Cross, Alice Maher – and that's just for starters), their summer programme adds drop in yoga in the formal gardens on Wednesday lunchtimes and Thursday evenings all summer long. Add outdoor art films on Living Canvas, coffee in the courtyard, music and free workshops to get your arty buzz on and find out more at Did someone say art is stuffy, formal and elitist? Not in Dublin. Dublin oddities, attractions & heritage Katie McCarthy, Mary Bolger, Seren Gillard and Carlie O'Connor at the Cherry Tomato Bridge. Photograph: Tom Honan Because a few cherry tomatoes on a bridge can turn into a tourist attraction. Nobody knows who started it. Nobody cares. What began last January as a few cherry tomatoes frozen during a cold snap on Binns Bridge in Drumcondra evolved into an unlikely tourist attraction. On Google Maps, it was known as 'the Shrine of the Sacred Cherry Tomatoes of Drumcondra'. Locals and tourists flocked to pay homage with ketchup sachets, basil bouquets and, in one high-art twist, AI-generated portraits of tomatoes in tuxedos. Influencers filmed it. Poets wrote tomato-based tributes. The bridge, inevitably, got millions of views on TikTok. A tourist from Zimbabwe told one newspaper that while he'd been to see the Phoenix Park 'so far my favourite thing is the Cherry Tomato Bridge'. 'Rotten tomatoes,' complained the critics. 'Salad days,' countered the fans. Either way, it captured something ephemeral about the communal absurdity to be found in Dublin. Dublin City Council Spoilsports Department were quick to clean it all up, but we'll always have the memories. Because Dublin pub quizzes are the best craic. Every night of the week in Dublin there's a Quizteam Aguilera or a Trivia Newton John vying for glory in the great leveller of social activities, the pub quiz. A good team name is almost more important than how you do. From The Woolshed on Parnell Street to Dudley's on Thomas Street you'll get more old favourites like Quiz Quiztofferson and Universally Challenged, along with some more local flavour like Let Quizty Take It or A Tráth Called Ceist. The weekly Wednesday quiz at The Circular in Rialto often sells out and combines friendly vibes, at least four dog mascots, and healthy rivalry between returning teams and newbies alike. Losers get whatever the host Colin McKeown bought earlier in the shop across the road, so even if the scores plummet there might be a Toffee Crisp in it for you. Colin runs Quiz Host Ireland and says it's community that brings people back again and again: 'Simply that we gather together and join a bigger group'. His favourite team name ever? 'Padraig Pearsed Nipples.' The Viking Splash has become so beloved in Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Because sound Dubs still play along with the Viking Splash Tour. Those giant yellow second World War era amphibious vehicles trundle around the city, spitting facts about Dúbh Linn and pointing out that the Pepper Canister Church is so-called because it ... looks like a pepper canister. The favourite activity of the Viking Splash is creeping up on unsuspecting pedestrians to roar at them. It is the best of sports who pretends not to see them coming and then gets a 'big fright' followed by a wave to all the marauders on-board. The Viking Splash has become so beloved in Dublin that when it appeared back on the streets after the Covid lockdowns it was taken as a positive sign that the city was healing. Spare a thought though for those who live or work along the route. It can't be easy hearing those impassioned 'aarrgghhs!' multiple times a day. Because soon you'll be able to make free phone calls from a retro phone box in the Little Museum of Dublin. Newly reopened in its original home in a Georgian town house on the northside of St Stephen's Green, the back yard of the Little Museum of Dublin will shortly be home to an old-school cream and green phone box. Once a familiar sight on Parkgate Street and later Dawson Street, the K1 phone kiosk is one of only two examples of this iconic phone box still left – the other is in Foxrock village where it's a decorative suburban quirk that also houses a well-used book exchange. When the phone box lands in the museum in August it will become the only functioning K1 phone kiosk in the State. After a restoration project, Eir has donated the kiosk to the Little Museum ensuring that this piece of telecommunications heritage is safeguarded for future generations. Soon visitors to the museum will be able to experience the unique phone box and even, thanks again to Eir, make phone calls anywhere in Ireland for free. Because Dublin Zoo now has animatronic dinosaurs. The affection Ireland has for Dublin Zoo was evident in the concern many felt last summer when illness struck the elephant herd leaving two of the beloved beasts dead. It was also on display at the height of the Covid pandemic when people dug deep to fund food for the animals when the zoo was on its knees after months of lockdown. The zoo in 2025 is almost entirely unrecognisable from the one conceived in the Rotunda Hospital in 1830 when a group of medics and scientists formed the Zoological Society of Ireland. Back then it was largely for the entertainment of wealthy Dubliners, with the entrance fee set at a hefty six pence – or nearly €100 in today's money. Sundays were for normal people – as long as they could afford to spend a single penny. Now spread over 28 hectares, the zoo attracts more than 1 million visitors a year as Ireland's largest family attraction. And a day at the zoo got even better earlier this year when the 700 animals were joined by animatronic dinosaurs. Trinity College Dublin: an oasis of tranquillity and architectural beauty. Photograph Nick Bradshaw Because Trinity College is an oasis in the bustling capital Right bang in the city centre you can step away from the busy streets into a 430-year-old college that is an oasis of tranquillity and architectural beauty. On a summer's day you can even walk past the playing fields to the Pavilion Bar and sit on the steps outside watching the cricket (no understanding of the rules required). Because our seagulls think they own the place. They look down on us, they threaten our sandwiches, they play havoc with rubbish bags and poo on our cars. They cackle, they chortle, they screech and scream and yet Dublin wouldn't be Dublin without seagulls. Bloom feeds them in Ulysses, one of several notable references to the birds in James Joyce's novel. Dublin has the densest urban gull population in Ireland; they've been nesting in the city since the 1970s due to declining food sources at sea and closure of landfills – now estimated to number around 10,000 breeding pairs. Yet, despite this rise, the overall herring gull population in Ireland has dropped by 90 per cent in the past 30-40 years. As they tell us what we have done to our environment – and theirs – we should look up to them. Because the clip-clop of horses is still the soundscape of the inner city. Many cities have horse and carriage tours for tourists, but in Dublin, this goes much deeper. Caring for horses is an intrinsic part of the city's culture – as well as Traveller culture – to this day. Around Dublin 7 and 8, it's not uncommon to see young people walking horses through the streets, or trotting on sulkies. Concerns are often raised over animal welfare and the future of the Smithfield horse fair. But talk to a kid in the city with a horse by their side, and they'll furnish you with plenty of details about the horse's personality and how they care for them. If only the city could contribute more to enhancing the care of horses by providing new funding for stables, and acknowledging that this culture should be protected and supported with animal welfare as a priority. Community Mary Flanagan, Fiona Durran, Catherine McCoy, Geraldine Feeney and Eva Currid in Portmarnock. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill. Typography: The Irish Times Because Dubliners can talk to anyone. There's a particular magic in the Dubliner's ability to talk absolute nonsense – and mean it. Not just weather chat, but miniature theatre: timing, wit, warmth. Whether it's the butcher, the barista, or the person beside you on the 13, you'll get a comment, a joke, a 'will you look at that state of the sky'. It's not meaningless – it's micro-connection. People who deride the power of small talk are unaware of its important psychological benefits. Small talk – particularly those small chats you have with people you see regularly such as shopkeepers and regulars on your bus route – has been proven to promote a greater sense of safety, belonging and community. It's not a coincidence that we are discussing loneliness and isolation at a time where people are more likely to put headphones on than say hi to your barista. Great small talk is a form of connection and it's also a cultural skill we should be proud to protect and cultivate. Because 'For All' groups are bringing communities together . Scores of volunteer and community groups have sprang up across Ireland in response to an increase in asylum seeker arrivals and anti-immigrant protests. In Dublin, many of these 'For All' groups have evolved into a network of engagement for the wider community, says Roxanna Nic Liam, a member of the East Wall for All group. 'These groups integrate not just asylum seekers, but locals who have been in the community for generations,' she says. 'East Wall for All showed us how a working-class area in Dublin really does come together in a crisis and make the area a better place.' Liam Hourican of Dublin 8 For All says the group's membership has rapidly grown following recent anti-immigrant protests outside two primary schools in Dublin 8. 'People were disturbed by the rise of hateful narrative. We think an attack on marginalised members of our community is an attack on all our community.' Dublin 8 For All 'makes our community richer', says Hourican. 'This is what our country should be about – we should be open and confident and kind to each other.' Palestinte protest in Dublin. Photograph: Ella Sloane Because Dublin keeps showing it solidarity with Palestine. Dublin has long been a focal point for protest and activism in Ireland, and over the past year, it has become a powerful centre for solidarity with Palestine. From the Garden of Remembrance to the gates of Leinster House, tens of thousands have taken to the streets. Palestinian flags hang from shop windows, business awnings and private homes, a sign of collective outrage and empathy. This surge in solidarity is part of a broader, deeply rooted activist spirit in Dublin, where people have repeatedly gathered to reshape Ireland's national identity, from the Repeal the 8th movement to the Marriage Equality referendum. The same streets that once echoed with calls for reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ equality now resound with chants for justice in Gaza. Public spaces & transport Because Capel Street is Dublin's best car-free street. You can keep Grafton Street and Henry Street. Not only is Capel Street longer, it is distinctly better suited to exploit the advantages of a traffic-free environment because it has what the others lack – pubs and restaurants. Retail-dominated Grafton Street and Henry Street are dead once the shops close, but life continues into the evening on Capel Street, pedestrianised in 2022, particularly in summer when people can dine outdoors. During the day, the new public seating is well-used by shoppers taking a rest, teenagers socialising, tourists checking out what their next destination should be, and workers availing of an outdoor space to have lunch. Instead of car fumes and the noise of traffic, now there is the sound of conversation. Instead of pedestrian safety being compromised by vehicles, now there are plants to enjoy. ... followed by Parliament Street. Facing Capel Street across Grattan Bridge, bookended by the Liffey and City Hall, tree-lined Parliament Street was pedestrianised in July. The removal of traffic has the potential to rebalance Temple Bar, drawing more tourists from the busier east end to the West. It is also a big gain for cycling, with a new contraflow lane on Grattan Bridge allowing cyclists to go in both directions from City Hall on Dame Street, along Capel Street and all the way to Bolton Street – a distance of almost 1km. Because the quays are no longer a traffic choked hellscape. Described as a 'watery dual carriageway' by Dublin City Council's head of traffic Brendan O'Brien, the quays served no one – not cyclists, not pedestrians, not bus users, not even the private car drivers who were the largest contributors to its congestion. That has changed. Last summer the council banned private cars and commercial vehicles travelling along the Liffey at either side of O'Connell Bridge from 7am to 7pm. City car parks remained accessible, no Liffey bridge was closed to cars, and once 7pm hit, it was back to the status quo. Yet this one small measure had a transformative effect on traffic. The provision for cyclists is still poor, but the big winners are Dublin's bus users. Rush hour bus journey times fell by almost a third and timetable accuracy increased. Some motorists still ignore the restrictions, but hopefully the planned introduction of traffic light cameras will sort them out. Dublin Port's Tolka Estuary Greenway Because slowly, surely, soul-enhancingly, our city is becoming greener. As the cycleways and pedestrianised areas have expanded, so too have little pockets of green. Whether it's more trees along the new cycle paths in North Strand or vertical planting out of the bases of old brick walls in the Liberties or St James Linear Park running along the Luas red line in Rialto, these are imaginative, in many cases inexpensive, interventions that go a long way to softening the city's rougher edges. Cabra is full of brilliant examples such as the Community Roots garden-sharing initiative which matches people who want to grow their own food with others who have space and are happy to share. Then there's the Cabra Pond, built without a pond liner using bentonite clay, has transformed the area behind the Most Precious Blood Church off Kilkieran Road. The pond is full of tiny frogs at the moment with plenty of swifts soaring overhead – boxes for the birds were organised by Connecting Cabra. Catriona Kenny, a member of that group, says local churches have been generous with their land: 'We've held biodiversity festivals there, and planted long flowering meadows, native hedgerows and even a mini orchard. A local flood-alleviating project is ongoing around Christ the King Church, to reduce pressure on our storm drains.' Well played, Cabra. A decorative painting art on an electricity or phone junction box. Photograph: Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty Images Because our traffic junctions have become public works of art . It all started 10 years ago as part of the Dublin Canvas community art project. Artists were asked to come up with ideas for painting over the grey, and much graffitied, traffic light control boxes with all manner of eye-catching art. These brightly painted boxes bring welcome flashes of creativity and colour to otherwise boring bits of street furniture at most junctions throughout the city and suburbs. With another batch commissioned for painting over the coming months, there will be more than 900 spread out across Dublin by autumn. Because our walls talk back. Street artists like Joe Caslin and Emmalene Blake make the city feel alive. Caslin's soaring portraits – of queer teens, grieving men, hopeful change – don't just beautify walls, they demand tenderness. Emmalene Blake's work started with portraiture and has now become more political: hand-painted girls, mothers, and martyrs who quietly reclaim space for care, queerness, and Palestine. In a city often accused of being scrubbed of character, these artists murals remind you what still matters, responding to social crises and political events in real time, turning empty space into activism and concrete into feeling. You look up, and suddenly the city's talking back. Drury Street in Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson Because people sit anywhere, anytime, anyhow. The provision of public seating in some areas of the city is finally improving, but elsewhere, Dubliners still have to take a load off by sitting on the street, as they have always done. Back in the day, the steps of the Central Bank were where young people gathered, and an ecosystem of subcultures merged; ravers, rockers, goths, grunge heads, skaters, and emo kids. Then it was the steps of the Powerscourt Shopping Centre on South William Street. While the banks of the canals and the boardwalk are well-worn sitting spots, now it's the kerbs of Drury Street, Castle Market and Fade Street where you'll find the city's cool kids hanging out. (The pedestrianisation of South William Street remains in limbo; this could revitalise a street that was once buzzing, but is now pockmarked by vacancy.) Because the Clontarf to city centre cycleway is glorious. Since the early 1990s cyclists heading north from Clontarf have had a traffic free path to enjoy the fabulous vista of Dublin Bay opening up before them, until, that is, they were chucked out unceremoniously at the Wooden Bridge to contend with traffic for a 2km stretch. In 2017 this missing link in the cycle-path was filled in and all was well, unless you were a cyclist heading south from Clontarf, then you were left to dice with death all the way into town. But no more. Last November the Clontarf to city centre cycle route opened. This 2.7km route takes cyclists all the way from the end of the Clontarf promenade to Conolly Station on Amiens Street, but more than that, it offers connections, existing and planned, to a whole network of safe segregated cycle routes. Already cyclists can use it to join the Royal Canal Greenway at Newcomen Bridge and Dublin Port's new Tolka Estuary Geenway via Fairview Park. In future, the route will be extended from Amiens Street down to the Liffey side paths and one day, if the council implements its Sandymount Strand Road plans, it will be connected to the southside and eventually the long-awaited Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) cycle-path along Dublin Bay could be completed. Because the new S bus routes offer a whole new way to explore the city. Rather than follow the old centripetal pattern of draining humanity into the city centre where people often had to hop off and hop on another bus to get where they wanted to go, the new S buses run across the city. The S2 for example goes from Heuston Station to Sandymount, through the city centre. ... and everyone still thanks the bus driver when getting off. Even if people now have to disembark via the middle doors, they still shout 'thanks' up to the driver. And unless you're wielding a knife the drivers almost always let you travel even if you don't have change or didn't know they don't take e-payments (in this day and age!). Out & about Swimmers enjoying the beautiful weather off the Hawk Cliff in Dublin. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Because sea swimming is now a religion with better robes. Irish people have a deep relationship with the sea; we turn to it as a form of escape, of calm, of emotional regulation. Whether you're partial to Seapoint, Bull Wall, the Forty Foot or Vico Baths, there's no such thing as off-season: the sea is always there for you. And even if you go alone, there's a sense of community in being one of the mad ones who embraces the cold at any time of year. The reasons vary – mental health, community, a daily dopamine hit – but the feeling is universal: euphoria, followed by a hot flask of tea and a smug glow that lasts all day. ... and you can swim beside Moglaí Bap from Kneecap at Clontarf Baths. Swimming outdoors in Dublin with the reassurance of a seawater filter was a weirdly impossible dream until relatively recently, but this joyfully jellyfish-free option is now available at Clontarf Baths (€10 for two hours, ). Originally built in the 1880s, the baths reopened after a 22-year hiatus in 2018, initially only for swimming club members, before public sessions were added in 2022. The pool tends to be a few degrees warmer than actual sea temperature, though it might not feel that way if you brave it outside the summer months. With its expansive dimensions, it is an invigorating, open secret swim spot. Moglaí Bap from Kneecap presumably agrees – he was spotted enjoying the baths when the band were in town for their gig at Fairview Park in balmy June. Liam Irwin and Dan O'Connor, co-founders of the Hot Box which has saunas in several locations across Ireland Because saunas have become the new pubs. Forget meeting people for a meal or a drink, the new way to socialise is by sweating together in a sauna, with new ones opening in recently in almost every Dublin postcode, from Killiney to Swords, Dundrum to Ballsbridge. One of our favourites is the Hot Box Sauna in Inchicore, an area recently named as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world by Time Out. Because there's a run club for everyone. Dubliners are embracing new ways of socialising and boosting their health while they are at it, and with a great selection of parks and walkways, it seems only natural. From singles, to gaeilgeoirs to members of the LGBTQ community to asylum seekers, there's a run club to suit all interests, whether you're looking to train for a marathon or simply jog 5k; some of the most popular include Sanctuary Runners, Dublin Front Runners, Sole Mates, Run Club Social and Club Reatha. Shopping Spar on Dame Street is unofficially known as Gay Spar. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Because Gay Spar is still the best place to feel seen at 2am. Officially known as the Spar on Dame Street, unofficially known as Gay Spar, this 24-hour convenience store is also a safe haven. So-called due to its proximity to The George, 'Gay Spar' started as a nickname – but the shop has wholeheartedly embraced it, with windows now emblazoned with rainbow Pride colours. When you stumble in after the club, before the taxi, when your eyeliner's smudged and your voice is hoarse, you can be safe in the knowledge that you're not the only glitter-covered person buying a Lucozade and a sausage roll. At a time where corporate LGBTQ+ allyship – no matter how performative – is being rolled back worldwide, Gay Spar has proven to be a steadfast ally. Because some shops are more than just shops. Around the city, independent stores add to the diversity of retail, breaking up the monotony of international chains. Many of these brick-and-mortar stores also act as cultural hubs. Saint Street hosts sessions by local rappers. Emma Fraser's vintage clothing stores Loot and Nine Crows have expanded into an internationally lauded modelling agency Not Another Agency. Tola Vintage hosts Culture Night parties, and High Rollers has a skate team. At Indigo & Cloth's micro-cafe, actors, artists, playwrights and crew from the nearby Project Arts Centre grab a brew. Emporium collaborates with the club Index and the record label Soft Boy, home to Kean Kavanagh and Kojaque. Owner of Little Deer Comics Matthew Melis is founder of the Dublin Comic Arts Festival. What all these stores have in common is an independent spirit, a can-do attitude, and a belief that community is what makes a city business tick. For crafts and jewellery, The Irish Design Shop on Drury Street can't be beaten. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Because Stable and The Irish Design Shop are beacons of Irish design. If there's one shop in Dublin city centre that lifts the spirits in an otherwise mediocre line up of global fashion brands found in any European capital, it is Stable in the Westbury Mall. Founded by friends Sonia Reynolds and Frances Duff originally as a pop-up ten years ago, it celebrates its ongoing success in promoting Irish craftsmanship and native fabrics, designing and making scarves, clothing and home accessories using Irish linen, tweed and handwoven wool. For crafts and jewellery, The Irish Design Shop on nearby Drury Street can't be beaten. Because indie bookshops are still holding the line. In Books Upstairs, you can climb the stairs to a cafe filled with poetry books and political theory. In The Gutter Bookshop, the staff recommend novels with such genuine joy it feels like a gift. In Hodges Figgis, a 300-hundred-year-old institution, you can still overhear a teenager discovering Sylvia Plath. The best ones – like The Library Project in Temple Bar, with its photo books and zines – remind you that books aren't just stories, they're worlds, and Dublin still has places where you can stumble into them. Events like Rick O'Shea's Writehawks, which allows writers to come in and chat about their favourite books, create a sense of community. George's St Arcade. Photograph: David Sleator Because the George's Street Arcade is as odd as ever. Where else could you get a nipple pierced and your fortune told before picking up a kaftan, some handcrafted statement jewellery, a batter burger and an oat-milk latte, all under the one roof? Only in Ireland's first purpose-built shopping centre. While it's unlikely the youth of the 1880s – when the George's Street Arcade first opened its doors – were lining up to get body parts pierced or inked, they were no doubt as drawn to the eclectic mix of stalls and shops as more recent generations have been. And sure as anything they used it as a handy and dry shortcut when walking from George's Street to Drury Street on a rainy day. The closure of Simon's Place is still mourned by many, but the arcade continues to be a draw for tourists and locals. Because Kish Fish reminds us what food shopping should be like. Kish opened on a back street in the heart of Smithfield in 1979 when Ireland loved the pope and the notion of north inner-city gentrification was as comically unlikely as a computer company paying us €13 billion in back tax or some class of silicon docks popping up at the back of Irishtown. The fishmongers standing behind the beds of tightly packed ice are old-school and fiercely obliging, happy to fillet and skin whatever takes your fancy and teach you how best to cook it. You won't find that service in many supermarkets. Lucy's Lounge, Fownes Street, Temple Bar. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Because of the second-hand treasure troves. Dublin's street style is a combo of Pellador jumpers and Claddagh ring emblems, mixed with second-hand finds uncovered in the city's charity and vintage shops – from the legendary Lucy's Lounge in Temple Bar and Monto on Parnell Street, to the newer Big Smoke Vintage in Temple Bar. As for the 'chazzas', Dublin has a wonderful selection of shops that follow each other like stepping stones, from Capel Street to George's Street, Camden Street and into the southside. Because the flea market scene keeps offering new treasures. In 2018, the Dublin Flea Market ceased trading due to redevelopment around Newmarket Square, much to regret of locals and fans of a good bargain. But residents were delighted to welcome the revived Newmarket Flea in July. Elsewhere in the city, Quirk, Le Zeitgeist, Libertine Market Crawl, Flux Market and the Block Market in Charlemont Square have all helped turn thrifting into a social event. Flea markets are a haven of creativity and community, showcasing the best of local artists, crafts and vintage fashion collectors. It's not just about finding something rare and engaging in a spirit of sustainability as old items become loved again, it's about chatting to the sellers, grabbing a coffee, and seeing what strange treasure finds you. Because Change Clothes offers us a guilt-free wardrobe refresh while saving clothes from landfill. In 2022, Mary Fleming set up Change Clothes in Crumlin, initially a one-week pop-up devoted to clothes swapping, workshops and exhibitions. Fast forward to 2025 and Mary's word is spreading far and wide across Dublin. Now based on Thomas Street in Dublin 8, Change Clothes hosts clothes swaps, fill-a-bag events, sewing machine classes and textile upcycling events. Donated clothing is redistributed to people in need, and traineeships are offered to those looking to get started in the textile industry. Change Clothes also enables other social enterprises to host clothes swaps events by providing clothes rails and the know-how. Food & Drink Staff at the Priory Market in Tallaght, Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson Because the city finally knows how to eat. There was a time when 'going out for food' in Dublin meant soggy panini or bafflingly expensive Caesar salads. Not any more. From Filipino adobo tacos to cardamom cruffins to smoked fish toasties made in tiny food trucks, the capital's kitchens are having a golden age. There's imagination, care, spice. Pop-ups and wine bars. Places you tell your friends about immediately, unless you want to keep them to yourself. It's not just fancy spots – it's the fact that Dubliners now expect their food to taste of something. And it does. New favourites include Little Lemon on Duke Lane, Pickosito on Mary Street, Fidelity in Smithfield, Lupillos in Inchicore, and Cat You Café in Ringsend for the best acai bowl in town, as well as the global streetfood stalls at the recently opened Priory Market in Tallaght. Because Assassination Custard is defying the odds. In a city where independent restaurants are being flattened by rent hikes and global roll-outs, and Dublin dining has blurred into velvet booths, TikTok interiors and menus written by accountants, Ken Doherty and Gwen McGrath's Assassination Custard in Dublin 8 remains a quiet act of resistance. Opened in 2015, it shut in July 2023 to reassess how – or if – it could go on. It reopened in February, reshaped but not softened: bookings open weekly on Instagram, lunch Wednesday to Friday, with two sittings, 12pm and 1.30pm. Bookings are for one or two people, dining at shared tables, maximum eight people. It's €35 a head minimum (less if solo). Now serving wine: one red, one white, and a vermouth at €8.50 a glass. The paper-bag menu shifts with the season and their format: always vegetarian options, often offal – tripe, kidneys, hearts – and pickles, ferments, anchovies, and pig's ear. No PR machine. Two cooks, three tables, and a welcome that proves why small matters. Because Green Man Wines is one of the best wine shops in the world. Rajat Parr – the world's most revered blind-taster – walked into Green Man Wines in Terenure and, like every wine nerd, did a double take. More than 1,000 lines, from smaller producers who farm organically, biodynamically, 'naturally'. Wines with energy, not funk. Most fall into the €20-€40 range, though there are four-figure unicorns. Opened a decade ago by Dave Gallagher and his wife, the late Claire O'Boyle Gallagher, it still reflects their mix of obsession and warmth. All bottles can be opened on-site for €15 corkage. Dan Smith, formerly of Airfield Estate, is the chef in the wine bar (Thursday-Saturday), serving a rotating menu, built around small plates that pair with the wine. 'Wine Tasting Wednesdays' bring visiting winemakers pouring their bottles, with Dan riffing on the regional food. Traditional fish and chips served at Fish Shop in Dublin. Photograph: Ellius Grace/New York Times Because the world's best chefs treat Fish Shop like a local. The Smithfield room is tiny – two marble-topped counters, 15 stools, a chalkboard menu, and a killer wine list: Jura whites, grower Champagne, alpine Nebbiolo, island wines from the Med. Peter Hogan and Jumoke Akintola opened Fish Shop here in May 2016, following their Blackrock Market stall. The menu still includes their renowned fish and chips but has quietly grown. The rule remains: wild, Irish-caught fish and seafood only. No tuna, bream, sea bass, imported prawns. Grilled John Dory or brill are mainstays, alternatives include gurnard or red mullet. Shellfish from the Copper Coast – crab, shrimp, lobster, whelks – are delivered from Tramore by Peter, and Irish langoustines or tiny seasonal shrimp, depending on the catch. Famous chefs eat here, of course. International names, tipped off about our restaurant critic Corinna Hardgrave's favourite casual restaurant in Dublin. Good luck getting a seat. Because the Mushroom Butcher is Dublin's most original pop-up . Mark Senn, a Melbourne-born chef who once ran the short-lived Veginity and Vish, now grows and cooks mushrooms near Leonard's Corner in Dublin 8. Mushroom Butcher is his Saturday-only food truck – parked outside a converted retail unit where he and his partner, Ingrid Baceviciute, cultivate a dozen or so delicate, short-shelf-life mushroom varieties rarely seen in Ireland. Staples have included king oyster schnitzel, mushroom XO sauce with polenta chips, and a vegan bánh mì, and more recently, he's featured a series of themed menus – Brazilian, Japanese, Greek and Italian – all cooked to order. The mushrooms themselves are sold fresh and appear on menus at some of the country's best restaurants. No delivery. Just a hyper-focused weekly service that's growing something new – literally, from the ground up. Because Al Khair restaurant at the mosque on South Circular Road is an escape to another culture. At Al Khair, the canteen-style restaurant tucked behind the blue gates of the mosque on South Circular Road, hospitality means food – shared, abundant, unforgettable. Opened in 1985 by Mohammed Yousuf, now run by his son Junaid, the food is what he calls Indian with a 'gentle Pakistani influence', which in practice means you get the creamy warmth of paneer and dal, the deep spice of slow-cooked lamb, and the slap-you-awake heat of aubergine bharta when you ask for it spicy. The vegetarian samosas are wonderful. Because the new generation of cocktail bars rival the best in the world. When Dave Mulligan felt the city needed some old school night-time glamour, he reimagined the old Sackville Lounge off O'Connell Street. This old boozer still has that classic Dublin pub feel, but it's also new and sleek with a cocktail menu that will knock your socks off. But what else would you expect from head bartender Dave Taylor, who also oversees operations at nearby award-winning Bar 1661? This year, Bar 1661 represented the Irish cocktail scene at the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, showcasing all that is great about Irish spirits and Irish drinks. Because of the secret table in Pepper Pot Café. Most Dubliners know about the pear and bacon sandwich in the Pepper Pot Cafe. (If you don't, and think pear and bacon come across as unlikely breadfellows, just try it.) Most of us also know the Pepper Pot is one of Dublin's best cafes for people watching, on the balcony in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre overlooking the bustling hordes below. But our favourite place to perch is at the table we like to call the secret table. In a room away from the main seating areas, it's where the cafe's baking magic happens. Here you can eat your pear and bacon or equally lovely sausage sandwich while watching croissants being laminated and bagel dough being pulled. Now, like Doris Day's secret love, our secret table's no secret any more. But that's okay. We don't mind sharing.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
Festivals: The best Irish events in August, from music and comedy to literature and science
Who needs to travel abroad this summer when there is so much culture and fun to be had at home? August is jam-packed with events to meet all tastes all across the country; from music to food to art . This list will bring you right up to September so you'll have no excuse for missing anything. Belfast TradFest July 27th – August 3rd This year brings the seventh annual Belfast TradFest , a week-long celebration of traditional music, song and dance at various venues around the city. You'll be spoiled for choice with 17 concerts, 105 pub music sessions, a Highland piping competition and much more. All Together Now July 31st – August 4th Kiasmos at last year's All Together Now. Photograph: Aiesha Wong The line-up at Curraghmore Estate in Co Waterford this year includes CMAT, Wet Leg, Fontaines DC, London Grammar, Blindboy and Primal Scream alongside talks and live podcast recordings by the likes of Tommy Tiernan and Moth stories. READ MORE Ballyshannon Folk & Traditional Music Festival July 31st – August 4th The oldest folk and traditional music festival is celebrating its 48th year this year with a weekend of live performances at venues across Ballyshannon, Co Donegal . Birr Vintage Week & Arts Week August 1st – 9th Birr Vintage Week Arts Festival in 2023. The 56th edition of this annual community arts festival in Birr, Co Offaly , offers a week of plays, concerts, workshops, exhibitions and other community events. Great festival for whole the family to enjoy. Spraoi International Street Arts Festival August 1st – 3rd The organisers of this festival say it will transform Waterford city into a giant stage where artists around the world giving free performances. There will be music, dance, comedy, fireworks, circuses and other spectacles. Fleadh Cheoil August 3rd – 10th Eilish (5) and brother Senan (8) McCormack from Athlone at last year's Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Wexford. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw This celebration of traditional music is set to attract some 500,000 visitors to Wexford town for a week of unforgettable dance and music performances and competitions. There will also be a number of exhibitions, walking tours, film screenings, food markets and children's story times on offer. Kilkenny Arts Festival August 7th – 17th Martin Hayes performing at last year's Kilkenny Arts Festival. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Now in its 51st year, the Kilkenny Arts Festival will once again fill its city's historic churches, castle, courtyards, townhouses and gardens with performances by renowned musicians, performers, writers and artists. There will also be talks from world famous journalists, poets and filmmakers. Howth Roots and Blues Festival August 8th – 10th Over three days, the Howth Roots and Blues Festival in the north Dublin seaside village will put on more than 40 roots and blues gigs, with the majority at no charge. There's something for everyone as the festival promises to cater for fans of country, bluegrass, americana, blues and, for the first time, afrobeat. Waterford Walls Festival August 8th – 17th For nine days, more than 40 Irish and international artists will create large-scale mural artworks around Waterford city. There will also be music, workshops, talks, guided tours and other activities on offer. Puck Fair August 10th – 12th King Puck, a wild mountain goat, on his throne overlooking the Killorglin town square following his 'coronation' ceremony last year. Photograph: Don MacMonagle One of Ireland's oldest fairs, this three-day festival in Killorglin, Co Kerry , is centred around a goat known as the King Puck. Every year a local goat is taken from the nearby mountains, crowned and then paraded through the streets. Cork on a Fork Fest August 13th – 17th A children's food trail at Cork on a Fork in 2023. Photograph: Chani Anderson The fourth edition of Cork on a Fork Fest promises five days of food, talks, tastings, demos, kids' events and more, celebrating Cork's incredible food scene and local produce. cork-on-a-fork-fest/what-s-on/ Chamber Music on Valentia August 14th – 17th Now in its 12th year, this chamber music festival takes place on the beautiful Valentia Island off the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula, Co Kerry. Love is a Stranger August 16th The team behind the Another Love Story festival, which has been running for the past 11 years, are hosting a day festival in Ballyvolane House, Co Cork. The organisers promise a carefully selected line-up of contemporary Irish and international artists performing in intimate and atmospheric settings. Wider Than Pictures 2025 August 16th– 24th This annual open-air summer concert series held at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, is back for a six-day run. This year's edition includes performances by Sharon Van Etten, Human League, Kaiser Chiefs and more. Masters of Tradition August 20th – 24th Over four days in Bantry, west Cork, acclaimed fiddle player Martin Hayes curates a celebration of Irish musicianship, dance and other, international traditions. A great place to see emerging talent in the trad music scene. Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival August 22nd – 24th Now in its 30th year, this bluegrass music festival is held annually in Dunmore East, Co Waterford . Over three days, the village teems with live performances and jams at all hours of the day and night. Another Love Story August 23rd – 24th The idyllic grounds of Kilyon Manor in Co Meath provide the setting for this bespoke festival of music, art, conversation, food and fun. Electric Picnic August 29th – 31st Kneecap fans at last year's Electric Picnic. Photograph: Alan Betson Ireland's largest yearly gathering of music and artists held in the grounds of Stradbally Hall, Co Laois , this year includes Hozier, Chappell Roan, Sam Fender, Conan Gray, The Kooks, Fatboy Slim and Suki Waterhouse in its stellar line up. Desmond O'Halloran Music Weekend 29th August – 31st August Every year, this trad music festival takes over the small island of Inishbofin, Co Galway for a weekend of live performances in intimate venues. desmond-ohalloran-music-weekend-3
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
‘I loved every day I worked with Seán and will miss him': tributes paid to beloved RTÉ presenter Seán Rocks
President Michael D Higgins , friends and colleagues have paid tribute to Seán Rocks , the RTÉ broadcaster and actor, who died on Wednesday after a brief illness, aged 64. Rocks presented the nightly arts and culture show Arena on RTÉ Radio 1 since the show's inception in 2009. He was also an actor, appearing in plays at the Gate , Peacock and Abbey theatres, and he was recognised and admired for the knowledge and empathy he brought to his role interviewing some of the country's best known arts figures. In a statement, the President said Ireland had lost 'one of its finest broadcasters and advocates for the arts'. [ Seán Rocks: Ireland has lost one of its great cultural champions Opens in new window ] 'Seán's show Arena on Radio 1 was an example, for all generations of listeners, of the deep, wide and supportive curiosity that he delivered from a rich insight into all aspects of the arts and culture. Seán's interest in all forms of the arts shone through on every topic and he expanded so many people's appreciation of performance and culture of all kinds,' the President said. READ MORE Sinéad Egan, series producer of Arena, told The Irish Times that Rocks's time as an actor gave him a 'fascinating' perspective. 'It meant that he appreciated how important every single piece of art was to the people involved, no matter the scale,' she said. 'Seán was beloved in RTÉ radio and within the arts community. It is impossible to overstate Seán's warmth and empathy as a person and as a broadcaster. He knew that for guests on Arena, art is life. Making radio with Seán was a privilege and a joy. Time and again, the best writers, visual artists, musicians, actors and film-makers came to Arena to talk to Seán because they knew he would engage fully with their work and ideas. His loss is profound. I am devastated for Seán and for his beautiful family.' Donal Ryan, author Seán was a deeply warm, funny and kind man with an incredible intellect and vast empathy. He always made people around him feel special and appreciated. I remember meeting him years ago in the RTÉ canteen and he could tell that I was nervous. He put his arm around me and said, 'Ah Donal, you'll be grand,' and I was. There was nothing like turning on the radio on a long drive home and hearing that Arena was about to start. It was miraculous, to have such a rich, entertaining and expansive show every day, presented with such easy brilliance. Seán is a huge loss to all of us, but I can only imagine his family's devastation. My deepest sympathy to Catherine, Morgan, Christian and all of his loved ones. Kay Sheehy, former series producer of Arena If there is magic in radio it has to be on air, and Seán Rocks had plenty of magic moments. But for me, thinking back with sadness and love for my friend and colleague Seán, the magic I liked most was in our pre-show tussles. We just loved to have a good old barney about a play, book or performance we had seen. We'd bicker and bark with disbelief about what the other 'could possibly' have admired or hated. It may have got the critical juices flowing for the show ahead, but for me it was fun, because he was fun. A producer's worst fear is some hare-brained idea they have being dismissed by an all-knowing presenter. That was never the case with Seán. 'Let's go to the Abbey and do a deep dive show on Conor McPherson's The Weir with the writer, director Caitríona McLaughlin , actor Brendan Coyle and cast interpreting the play?' He would jump at the chance. 'Let's do a Trad Fest special with Janis Ian, with others singing her songs as her voice is no longer up to it'? Again it was a yes. I loved every day I worked with Seán and will miss him. Elaine Feeney, author Seán Rocks was so brilliant and smart, he was deeply supportive of the arts (of all persuasion of arts), and his knowledge and understanding of culture was unparalleled. He understood what creativity meant, and was a light on the many evenings I listened to him, even on dark days when the whole world seemed off kilter, he was reliable and reassuring. I am so very sad to hear of his untimely passing. (From Instagram) Olan McGowan, former producer of Arena Seán Rocks was the best, the most natural presenter I ever worked with. It was a pleasure producing Arena, going through material before the show and it was always a pleasure sitting in studio when he was in the chair. Nobody had a greater appreciation of the arts than Seán. His ability to go from the latest Netflix series to a highbrow author and then back to music of any genre, all in one show, was unparalleled. I always said Arena was a very good show with a very good team, but it was Seán that made it great. He is irreplaceable. (From Instagram) Edel Coffey, author and former RTÉ radio researcher I started working on Arena a long time ago, which is how I got to know and love Seán Rocks. He was always brilliant and interested and smart and informed, but also he was always kind and funny and great fun. I have lovely memories of chair-dancing in the studio with him as we reviewed albums. He was very special, a total gentleman. This is devastating news for him, his family, the arts community and radio broadcasting. Joseph Chester, singer-songwriter Going on to Arena to talk to Seán was always a bit more nerve-racking than any other interview simply because his knowledge of the arts was so deep and you knew he would never let you get away with blather and cliches. You had to be prepared for an interview with Seán. For that reason I think that his interviews had a depth and understanding that few others had. He was also so supportive to me, inviting me on the show whenever I had an album coming out. I was in with him just a few weeks ago, talking about Françoise Sagan, sadness and life and playing a few pieces for him. He was in great form, curious and warm and talking off air about his family. He will be so missed. (From Instagram) Roisín O'Donnell, author People talk about feeling seen, and I think that's what Seán did for everyone who walked into his studio. He had that rare gift for making people feel seen, heard and understood. Back in 2016, I was a very nervous young writer, just starting out, but Seán put me instantly at ease, and talked about my stories with such insight and empathy. I walked out of there feeling like a million dollars. His wit, intelligence and passion for the arts in all forms was truly remarkable. The Irish arts scene has lost a real legend. (From Instagram) Sinéad Gleeson, author and Arena contributor I am – along with so many in the Irish arts community – devastated to hear about the death of Seán Rocks, presenter of @rte_arena . An intelligent, curious, warm broadcaster who lifted us all up, but more importantly, was a wonderful person. A total gentleman, always smiling who put people at ease. I loved the studio chats before the mic was live, where we often talked about our kids. I was only on air with him nine days ago and I couldn't make it to studio, and now I wish I had. He was one of a kind and will be so missed. (From Instagram) Nadine O'Regan, Irish Times journalist and Arena contributor Seán Rocks was one of the most lovely people you could ever encounter. He was gas off air – with plenty of anecdotes and wisecracks – and professional, good-humoured, thoughtful and wise on air. There were so many lessons you could take from Seán as a presenter. He was a brilliant listener, with a finely tuned ear for a turn in a conversation, or a change in tone. He was extremely respectful to his guests – whether you were a huge star or a small contributor, he treated everyone the same. He was ego-free. And he was consistent – he always gave the show his all. Just the other week, I was saying to one of Arena's team how brilliant the show was, and how much I enjoyed contributing to it. 'Everything stems from the presenter,' she said. 'Seán is the same off-air as on – and he brings that atmosphere with him.' Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, poet and author Dinner with Seán Rocks A year ago I started having dinner with Seán Rocks. I light the candles, pour a glass of wine And set my plate upon the table. Then Arena starts. 'Imagine turning up For an interview with that!' he says. Novelists and singers. My favourites are the film critics: so frank and honest. It's March. I turn on the radio. The dark locked garden calls for candles. After the clock springs on In April they're not really needed. But still I persist. Dinner with Seán Rocks, at seven every evening. It's March again. A year has passed, The year of Covid. I light the candles, set My plate upon the table. Rice and chicken. 'I want to Finish with something I know you love!' You know what I like about Seán Rocks? He's nice. He has a melodious voice. He's not pompous, never perky. He speaks decent Irish. 'Anois an Nuacht ó Mháire de Bhailís' He says before his show begins. 'That is our lot for this evening.' Much has happened Since last March. Birth and death. And yet 'Tá sé díreach in am do John Creedon.' (from Facebook)
