Forward Plans – Weeks of 22.12.2025 and 29.12.2025 with Rick O’Shea
Monday 22.12.2025
· Arena Christmas Quiz – Two teams made up of Arena’s best contributors (Eamon Sweeney, Sarina Bellissimo, John Meagher, John Maguire, Louise Bruton, Nadine O’Regan) battle it out in the inaugural Arena Christmas Quiz.”
Tuesday 23.12.2025
· Arena Best of 2025 – Arena’s year-end review special where Rick and panel made up of Arena regulars (….) discuss the standout music, films, books, and TV from the year.
Monday 29.12.2025
· RTÉ Short Story Competition final 2025 – Another chance to hear the RTÉ Short Story Competition final 2025, recorded in front of a live audience at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire.
Tuesday 30.12.2025
· Culture night 2025 – Another chance to hear Arena celebrate Culture Night. The special show features Christine Dwyer Hickey, Tolu Makay, Iarla Ó Lionáird and Macdara Yeates, while actors Seamus Moran, Dave Herlihy and Marion Dwyer remember the late great Seán Rocks.
Wednesday 31.12.2025 – to be broadcast at 4 o’clock
· The Essential Seán Rocks – Ciarán Hinds narrates the first of two programmes dedicated to Seán Rocks.
Thursday 01.01.2026 – to be broadcast at 4 o’clock
· The Essential Seán Rocks part two.
Friday 02.01.2026
· The Poems of Seamus Heaney – Recorded at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire, this special event marks the publication of The Poems of Seamus Heaney. Rick O’Shea is joined by Bernard O’Donoghue and Rosie Lavan, who edited
this new edition of Heaney’s work; poets Moya Cannon and Victoria Kennefick; and critic Fintan O’Toole.