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Quincentennial Radio was a short-lived Galway pirate that came on air just after the deadline for the unlicensed stations to leave the airwaves at the end of 1988. Named after the city’s 500th anniversary celebrations in 1984, Quincentennial began broadcasting continuous music on 2nd January 1989. It was run by ex-Coast 103 people such as Shane Martin, Steve Marshall and Tony Allan (RIP) and promoted itself as the city’s only local station filling the vacuum left by the closure of the pirates. Quincentennial was warned by the authorities in April 1989 and closed down around that time.
This recording features a Sunday morning oldies show presented by Carl Turner (John Steele, RIP), who had broadcast previously on Coast 103 and on his own hobby pirate station, Swinging Radio Impulse. It also includes station liners voiced by Tony Allan, including one stating that Quincentennial Radio was ‘owned and operated by local radio people who prefer not to be unemployed’.
The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 98.4 FM on the morning of Sunday, 5th January 1989. No times are given in the recording.
