Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

9th March 202622nd February 2026

Final hour of BLB before 1983 closedown

This is part of the final hour of Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB) before it closed voluntarily following the raids on the larger Dublin pirates in 1983. At the microphone is a familiar voice on BLB, Mark Quinn, who is joined by other presenters including Shay Byrne (now with RTÉ), Sally Byrne and Terry Daniels. They reminisce about the station since it began on 22^nd August 1979. There are also calls of support from listeners and messages of goodwill from community groups, showing how respected BLB was in the north Wicklow town.

The recording was made from 96.7 FM between 2255-2341 on 19^th May 1983. BLB also broadcast on 657 kHz, announcing 456 metres. Along with most other pirates, it returned to the airwaves after a short time once the immediate shock of the raids had passed.

6th March 202621st February 2026

The breakfast show on Energy 103

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Alan Burns presented the breakfast show on Dublin station Energy 103 in 1986 and 1987. This recording was made on a cold morning in the autumn of 1986 but despite the weather, there’s plenty to keep listeners engaged including a prize of a food hamper, horoscopes and a ‘beat the intro’ competition. Some well-known voices on adverts include Tony Allan (RIP), Colm Hayes and Pat Courtenay and there’s a recorded insert featuring Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. News on the half-hour is read by George Long (Henry O’Donovan, RIP), who also presents an idiosyncratic newspaper review that wouldn’t make it on air by today’s standards.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 103 FM between 0755-0843 on 23^rd October 1986.

4th March 202614th February 2026

Late night on KISS FM from Foley Street

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This is another recording of the early days of KISS FM from Foley Street in Dublin’s north inner city (1985-86). Our recording features Clem Francis in a late-night slot not long after the station was launched. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 104.2 FM (announcing 105) between 2242-2328 on 18^th May 1985.

2nd March 202614th February 2026

Breakfast on the new KISS FM from Foley Street

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KISS FM from Foley Street in Dublin’s north inner city was one of several pirates using that name over the decades. This KISS FM (1985-86) emerged from the second iteration of Dublin Community Radio (DCR), was owned by two German businessmen and managed by David Baker. This recording was made not long after the station’s launch and features Peter Collins on the breakfast programme. Despite the time of day, adverts are scarce and there are some technical issues with the music, so the station was clearly still finding its feet.

The tape was made from 104.2 FM (announcing 105) between 0830-0915 on 7^th May 1985. It is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Radio Skywave International was a 1980s shortwave station broadcasting from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

27th February 20262nd March 2026

Early Cork series: Test broadcast by Radio City 2

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This recording is of a test broadcast by Radio City 2, which was linked to the early Cork pirate Radio City (1980-1982). The frequency is 88.8 FM, distinct from the main channel on 95.5, but the station’s AM frequency on 1512 kHz (199 metres) is also mentioned. The presenter is Pete Andrews (O’Neill) and sound quality is poor at first, due to distorted audio levels in studio. As nobody involved can remember Radio City 2, it is more likely that this was an engineering test than the beginnings of an offshoot station, distinct from the main service.

The airchecked recording is from an undated Saturday night but we estimate it to be from April or May 1981. Thanks to Lilian O’Donoghue for the donation.