Category: Airchecks

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Northeast series: Mid-morning show on Boyneside Radio

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Northeast series: Mid-morning show on Boyneside Radio
The Boyneside studio c. 1983 (courtesy Declan McGowan).

By 1984, the Drogheda station Boyneside Radio was 6 years on air and had grown into a large regional station with offshoot services across the northeast. This recording features the end of Daire Nelson’s breakfast show followed by the mid-morning programme presented by Don (Donagh) McKeown. Donagh would go on to present the first show on border station Zee 103 in 1986 and later worked for Downtown Radio in Belfast. News is read by Shane Harrison, who later had a career with the BBC in Belfast and Dublin.

The airchecked recording was made by Kieran Murray from 98.1 FM between 0930-1103 on Monday 13th August 1984 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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Evening show with Jason Maine on Radio Nova

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Evening show with Jason Maine on Radio Nova
Nova car sticker from the 846 period (courtesy Ian Biggar).

Jason Maine was a popular DJ from the Dublin pirate scene in the late 1970s and 1980s, presenting on stations such as Big D, Radio 257, Sunshine Radio and Q102. Here he is with a laid-back evening show on Radio Nova from spring 1982.

The partially airchecked recording was made from 88 FM in mono between 2145-2300 on Good Friday 9th April 1982 and is courtesy of Shay Geoghegan. Nova also broadcast on 846 kHz AM at this time.

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Radio West Anoraks’ Show (28th June 1987)

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Radio West Anoraks' Show (28th June 1987)
Radio West offices in 1987 (courtesy Andy Carter).

This recording of the weekly Radio West Anoraks’ Show dates from summer 1987. Presented by station boss Shaun Coyne and Don Allen (RIP), it begins with a discussion of surveys of pirate radio listenership. Radio West’s new AM frequency is about to go live on 711 kHz in Galway and there are plans for a promotional campaign in the city and county. In other news from Galway, WLS is off the air following a dispute. Other stations mentioned include KTOK in Donegal, Longford Community Radio, Kandy Radio, Power 102 and the new pirate Independent Radio Mayo. There is also speculation about forthcoming changes in the Irish media landscape as the government discusses licensing of independent radio and television.

The partially airchecked recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 702 kHz AM on Sunday, 28th June 1987 from 1045-1145.

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Radio West Anoraks’ Show (21st June 1987)

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Radio West Anoraks' Show (21st June 1987)
Radio West’s AM site at Tyrrellspass in 1987 (courtesy Andy Carter).

This recording of Radio West from summer 1987 begins with the end of Don Allen’s easy listening programme just before the weekly Anoraks’ Show presented by Don and Radio West boss Shaun Coyne. There are the usual letters from listeners, one asking for an exchange of pirate recordings and another providing a report from Dublin. From Scotland, Jock Wilson of Radio Stella International is looking for someone to operate a 200w shortwave transmitter in Ireland and is interviewed on the programme.

Shaun Coyne comments on the busy pirate scene in London where raids take place a few times a week. He also announces that Radio West is to return on high-powered FM in Dublin and is planning to install a transmitter in Galway. There are round-ups from around the country and a promise to publish an anoraks’ magazine, which never materialised. A promo for Anoraks Ireland is voiced by David Baker.

The recording from the Anoraks Ireland Collection was made from 702 kHz AM on Sunday 21st June 1987 between 1045-1145 and is partially airchecked. There is some cassette wobble at the start and reception is consistent with a daytime groundwave signal as heard in Dublin.

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Teena Gates on Liberty 104

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Teena Gates on Liberty 104
Liberty 104 car sticker (courtesy of DX Archive).

Liberties Local Community Radio (LLCR) began broadcasting in March 1986 from Weaver Square in Dublin 8. It was run by Sammy Prendergast who was well known for installing aerials for pirate stations. LLCR broadcast on 1035 kHz AM using the old Capitol Radio rig which had been on 1017 kHz until shortly before then. It was also heard on 104 FM at a later stage and was renamed Liberty 104.

In this short clip from the Pirate.ie collection recorded on 30th August 1988, Teena Gates reads the news, when the station was known as Liberty 104. Teena can still be heard on radio in Dublin today and in 2026 was inducted into the IMRO Radio Hall of Fame for her contribution to the medium.