Age is just a number
Give me Helen Mirren's refusal to 'age gracefully' over the tech bros who refuse to age at all
,' August 2nd) reminded me how attitudes to being and getting older change as we do.
Young children often yearn for time to pass more quickly. Being a bit older may bring respect. Recently I overheard my six-year-old nephew taunt his older sister, commenting, 'I know you're eight but you look seven.' She heard him, chose not to respond, showing the wisdom of her years. – Yours, etc,
NUALA GALLAGHER,
Castleknock,
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Dublin 15
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Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘The nation loved you': Mourners gather for funeral of Seán Rocks in Monaghan
'We here in Monaghan are very proud of Seán Rocks. We are very proud of his achievements. He was one of us.' Those lines were said by Canon Paddy McGinn to a large crowd gathered for the funeral of Seán Rocks in his native town of Monaghan on Monday. The actor and RTÉ presenter, who died on Wednesday after a brief illness, was 64. President Michael D Higgins was among the mourners who extended their sympathies to Rocks's wife Catherine in St Macartan's Cathedral. Directly afterwards, Sabina Higgins enfolded Catherine in a long hug. The length of the embrace felt testament to the shock, felt by all, that a man who had been on air presenting Arena, RTÉ's flagship arts and culture show the Friday before last, could be so suddenly gone. READ MORE 'We have many questions,' Canon McGinn said. 'Why Seán? Sometimes we have no answers.' Rocks's voice was 'soothing and consoling', said Canon McGinn. He had an ability 'to get the best out of people', while his listeners considered him a friend. [ 'I loved every day I worked with Seán and will miss him': tributes paid to beloved RTÉ presenter Seán Rocks Opens in new window ] Among the mourners were actors Stephen Rea, Ciarán Hinds, Aidan Gillen, Bronagh Gallagher and Stanley Townsend. Musicians Julie Feeney, Camille O'Sullivan and Colm Mac Con Iomaire were in attendance, as were novelists Patrick McCabe and Sinéad Gleeson. Taoiseach Micheál Martin was represented at the funeral by Commandant Joseph Glennon. In attendance from RTÉ were presenters Miriam O'Callaghan, Philip Boucher-Hayes, and RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst, as well as many who had worked with Rocks over the years, including producers Sinéad Egan and Kay Sheehy, and colleagues from Lyric FM, where Rocks had also worked. Quiet sobbing could be heard as the coffin was brought up, with Rocks's young sons, Christian and Morgan, in blazers and trainers, and Catherine leading the way, their hands on top of the coffin. Rocks met Kerry-born Catherine in 2004. 'You became the love of his life,' Canon McGinn told her. 'In 2015, Christian was born, and in 2017 Morgan was born. He was devoted to you.' Reflecting on Rocks's character, his great friend, the actor Marion O'Dwyer told mourners: 'Seán didn't send you a voice note, you got a personal podcast. The boys know whenever someone makes them laugh, that'll be their dad in heaven trying to make them laugh.' A pair of headphones, a box of Seamus Heaney poetry, a wooden spoon, a theatre award, and a family photograph were among the items presented by Rocks's family at the altar as symbols of his love of family and the arts. Heaney had been one of Rocks's lecturers when he did his master's degree in Anglo-Irish literature at UCD. As a boy he went to the local school, St Louis in Monaghan town, before attending Carysfort College to become a teacher. Based in Dundrum in Dublin, Rocks began presenting radio programmes on RTÉ Lyric FM in 2000, before moving on to RTÉ Radio 1. Among his achievements were serving as MC at events at Áras an Uachtaráin, and also serving as host MC at the State banquet at Dublin Castle for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011. As an actor he performed in plays in the Abbey, Gate and Peacock theatres. Music was performed by Rocks's family and friends, including Conor Linehan, Ellen Cranitch, Ailish Lavelle, Martin McCormack and the Monaghan Folk Group. His friend, the actor Seamus Moran, delivered a reading. Gráinne Rice, Rocks's sister, sang a version of Be Not Afraid. Outside the cathedral, as blustery weather threatened to throw people off-balance, memories of Rocks were swapped. Many recalled his sense of mischief, his charm and his tremendous facilities as an actor and broadcaster. From the pulpit, the listeners were represented too, with Canon McGinn reading out some of the many tributes and letters of sympathy written on One listener, Helen from Dooks in Co Kerry, had 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.' 'The nation loved you,' she concluded.
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Irish Times
All Together Now 2025 highs and lows: ‘CMAT for president', €8 for two cans of Sprite
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Ecofriendly festivalgoers and a team of staff kept the area clean, constantly tidying up rubbish. Photograph: Dan Dennison Ecofriendly audience The arena felt very clean – much cleaner than at other festivals. This was presumably in part down to the staff who were constantly cleaning up rubbish, but also down to ecofriendly festivalgoers who made sure to take their waste away with them. LOWS Preposterous cost of food Festivalgoers felt the sting of the cost-of-living crisis at the festival's food trucks. Photograph: Dan Dennison The lowest price for a meal at an Irish festival is now €15 – assuming you don't want to a drink to go with it. Festivals are supposed to be where we go to escape the pressures of every day life, but the cost-of-living crisis was making its presence felt at All Together Now. At Glastonbury three-quarters of the food trucks have a £6 offering , according to the huge British festival. That sounds like an idea well worth emulating. Prices at the 24-hour Londis In what economy is it acceptable for two cans of Sprite to cost €8? In the economy of the All Together Now's campgrounds, it seems. But the flagship shop on what quickly became known as the strip – a string of shops that attracted behaviour similar to what you might see in Albufeira or Zante – was nevertheless a lifeline for many. It sold essentials like a pint of milk and meal-deal sandwiches, possibly sustaining thousands over the weekend. Water waits On the ecofriendly front, many people brought their own water bottles. This is great in theory, but the campsites could have had a few more taps to facilitate refilling them as the queues got pretty long at times. Bohs' Fontaines DC overload Bohemian FC's Fontaines DC shirts are eye-catching – and how great to see an Irish soccer team in the spotlight – but it would have been nice to see some variety around the site. Also, have the hipsters moved on and embraced GAA jerseys as ' League of Ireland is cool' fatigue sets in? The prominence of GAA club tops suggests that may be the case. Rain couldn't stop fans flocking to see Nelly Furtado perform on the main stage on the last night of All Together Now. Photograph: Kieran Frost/Redferns Sunday-night rain You always want to go out on top, so it was slightly disappointing when it began to drizzle on Sunday night, especially after a particularly dry and sunny weekend. It didn't stop the crowds from flocking to Nelly Furtado to round out the weekend, although it did mean the predrinks were rather wet if your group didn't think ahead of time and bring a marquee.
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Irish Times
All Together Now 2025: The weekend in pictures
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