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Sound Channel reminisces about 10 years of pirate radio in Limerick

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Sound Channel reminisces about 10 years of pirate radio in Limerick
Sound Channel logo from 1988 (courtesy Andy Carter).

Sound Channel broadcast from Limerick City from 1986-1988, adding the tagline Power 98 in its final six months on air. This recording was made a short time before the station closed down for good at the end of 1988 and includes part of a late-night programme presented by Tom O’Donnell, a stalwart of the Limerick entertainment scene and one half of comedy duo Tom and Paschal. Tom had earlier presented on Big L and would later be heard on Radio Limerick One, a station that lost its licence in 1996 and continued to broadcast as a pirate. In the recording, Tom is joined in studio by local radio anorak Tony Punch and fellow DJs Ger McNamara and George Lee. The second half features a ‘kaleidoscope’ of Limerick pirates from the period 1978-1988, including clips from Sound Channel/Power 98, Independent Radio Limerick, Raidió Luimní, Radio Vera, Big L, Radio Munster, Hits 954, Radio Avalon and Galtee Regional Radio.  

No times are noted on the cassette but the recording was made on the evening of Thursday 29th December 1988 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.  

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Border series: Sunday afternoon on Drive 105

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Border series: Sunday afternoon on Drive 105
Drive 105 advertising flyer (courtesy Ian Biggar).

This is another recording of the Derry/Donegal station Drive 105 from 2000. The station had studios in Derry City but broadcast from just across the border in Donegal, beaming its signal back into the North. The recording features Pierse McCallion in a lunchtime slot, playing mostly oldies. There are adverts from Derry and Donegal but no requests from listeners. Pierse is followed by Paul Anthony with the drivetime show.

The recording was made on from 105.3 FM on Sunday 23rd July 2000 between 1315-1505, with a break in the middle. Thanks to Ian Biggar for the donation.

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Border series: Drive 105 from Donegal/Derry

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Border series: Drive 105 from Donegal/Derry
Drive 105 poster from c2000 (courtesy Ian Biggar).

Drive 105 began transmissions to Derry and surrounding area on 105.3 MHz in 1999. Originally the station was located in a property just over the border in Muff, County Donegal, near the Rock Bar. The station broadcast a mainly pop music format and featured some staff who had worked on other pirates like Radio North and Riverside 101. As far as we are aware Drive 105 was never raided but did have to temporarily close in August 2001 when officials from the Department were operating in the area. At some point the station moved its studio to Shipquay Street in Derry, linking from there to the transmitter site just over the border in Donegal. 

Ian Biggar recalls: I remember hearing Drive 105 in Portpatrick, Scotland on December 30th 2004 clearly having technical issues with very low audio.

Whether it was due to technical problems or not, Drive 105 left the air in January 2005 seemingly with the intention of applying for a licence. After some time off the air, they received a community licence in 2012 to broadcast to Derry, which they still do to this day. This recording was made from 105.3 FM on 26th April 2000 between 1315-1445. Plenty of entries into a listeners’ quiz and adverts from Derry and Donegal. The DJ is Brian Magoo. Many thanks to Ian for the donation and background text.

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Southside Radio FRC show from March 1981

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Southside Radio FRC show from March 1981
The Victor Hotel in Dún Laoghaire, home to Southside from 1980 (courtesy DX Archive).

An early pioneer in news for radio anoraks was the weekly Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show on Southside Radio from Dún Laoghaire in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Presented by Marc Boland, it was often relayed on shortwave pirate Westside Radio International. This short recording of the end of one edition of the FRC from 1981 includes correspondence from a listener in Leeds who wants to swap recordings of pirate stations from both sides of the Irish Sea.

The tape was made from 999 kHz AM (300 metres) on Sunday 29th March 1981 between 1248-1930 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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Free radio show on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (6th July 1983)

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Free radio show on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (6th July 1983)
Radio Dublin poster from 1983 (courtesy DX Archive).

This recording of the Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show on Radio Dublin Channel 2 dates from summer 1983. It is presented by Tony Healy, who is filling in for Gerard Roe and making his first appearance on the station. The FRC features a Christmas recording from Radio Snowflake on 99.9 FM from December 1982, operating from Dollymount. There are medium wave, FM and shortwave bandscans and a recording of British pirate Radio Veronica recorded in Liverpool. The edition also features an Anoraks UK tape of interviews with Bob Gallico, Declan Meehan and Mike Moran.

The tape was made from 98.7 FM between 1958-2105 on Wednesday 6th July 1983 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.