Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

3rd April 20252nd April 2025

Afternoon shows on Radio West in the early days

Mullingar-based pirate Radio West grew from humble origins in early 1982 into a large regional station by 1987, even rebranding itself as West National Radio 3 and claiming coverage of 22 of the 26 counties. Our short recording was made not long after its launch and features snippets of afternoon programmes. First up is John Flood (if we heard the name correctly), who is followed by Mike Young with the Solid Gold show. News is read by Orla Francis. The strapline of ‘the mighty 290’ is used but Radio West in fact broadcast on 1071 kHz at the time, which was closer to 280 metres. Such flexibility in announced frequencies was common in the days before digital displays on radios. The recording is of note because it shows how Radio West developed from a relatively amateur local service into a much larger regional operation during its 6 years on air. Its footprint was transformed after it acquired a 10 kW transmitter that gave it widespread coverage, leading it to claim national coverage.

This airchecked recording of Radio West was made from shortly before 1500 on 12th April 1982 from 1071 kHz AM. The tape was recorded by Kieran Murray and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. Audio is of DX quality as Radio West was on low power at the time and the tape was made outside the core listening area in Westmeath.

1st April 202518th February 2025

Border series: Closedown of Donegal station WABC

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On Easter Monday 1991, Donegal pirate WABC announced that it was closing down. The pioneering Inishowen station had been on air for 3-and-a-half years, with the exception of 6 months in the first half of 1989 due to the new legislation. At one stage it ran two parallel services specialising in hot hits and olides, and gained many listeners and advertising across the northwest, a region starved of music radio after 1988.

But at 1700 on Easter Monday, WABC began broadcasting continuous dance music interspersed with jingles and a message by owner Paul Barnett (RIP) announcing that it would go off air at 1900. It was a low-key closedown that was not flagged officially in advance, although there were hints on air and a farewell appearance on Saturday of Paul’s then wife and fellow DJ Krissi Carpenter at her oldies roadshow in Coleraine, Co. Derry. After a two-hour loop of music and the recorded announcement, WABC closed down shortly before 1915. Ian Biggar takes up the story:

The 101.7 transmitter remained on site and started relaying the programmes of [fellow Donegal pirate] Riverside 101. It continued to do so until a UK licence was received to broadcast as Q 102.9 and again continued to relay the legal station for many years. At one point the frequency was changed to 102.9 MHz. Paul and Krissi continued to do programmes for Radio Fax which was operating on short wave from Donegal before both were offered jobs on commercial radio in the UK. However, Paul still had a love for Ireland and both he and Krissi could still be heard on commercials and promos on Radio North. Unfortunately, their marriage broke up and Paul headed back to Donegal in the late 1990s to take up a managerial role with Radio North.

This recording was made from 101.7 FM from 1800-1919 on 1^st April 1991. Thanks to Ian Biggar for the recording and research. However, as is often the case with pirate radio, the 1991 closedown was not the end of the story, and WABC would rise again in the future for a final time.

30th March 202530th March 2025

Border series: Final Saturday breakfast show on WABC

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In March 1991, Donegal station WABC was preparing to close down for the second time since its estalishment in September 1987. After three-and-a-half years of successfully building the station in the northwest, station owner Paul Barnett (RIP) and his then wife Krissi Carpenter, had decided to return to England. This recording features the final Saturday Breakfast Binge show with Happy Harry, two days before WABC closed down. The programme features mostly chart music, plenty of inane chat and a promo for Krissi’s final oldies roadshow in Coleraine that night. There is no direct reference to the closedown, although Harry drops hints that something is afoot at the station. The breakfast show is followed at 1100 by a music show live from Sweden by satellite.

The recording was made from 0944-1118 on Easter Saturday 30^th March 1991 from 101.7 FM and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

30th March 202520th February 2025

Sunday afternoon on Bray Local Broadcasting

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Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB), was one of the leading community radio stations in the country during the pirate era of the 1970s-1980s, and was a founding member of the National Association for Community Broadcasting that lobbied for the licensing of non-commerical local radio. It broadcast from Bray in north Co. Wicklow for the best part of a decade from 1979-1988.

This is a short airchecked recording from 1983 of the Sunday Disco Mix show with an unidentified DJ, interspersed with adverts for small businesses in Bray. It is followed by Louis O’Rourke with At Your Service, a programme for Civil Defence, Red Cross and the Order of Malta, an example of the type of community material championed by BLB. The tape was made by Kieran Murray between 1730-1800 on Sunday 1^st May 1983 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. 96.3 FM is noted on the inlay card, but BLB broadcast on 96.7 at the time, as well as 657 kHz AM.

29th March 202529th March 2025

Border series: Paul Barnett’s final show on WABC in 1991

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In this recording of the Donegal pirate WABC, station founder Paul Barnett (RIP) is in top form for his final show as the station prepares to close down for the second time. The music is a mixture of contemporary hits and oldies, like an amalgam of the two original WABC Stations, Hot Hits and Gold.

Adverts are voiced by Paul and his then wife Krissi for businesses in Derry and Antrim and there is a promo for Krissi’s last appearance at the Coleraine Rugby Club. Paul presents the WABC What’s On Guide but there is no mention that the station is being wound down. Similarly, there is no formal sign-off from Paul although Krissi’s show is announced as her last.

WABC closed on Easter Monday 1^st April 1991. This recording was made on Friday 29^th March 1991 from 0930-1100 from 101.7 FM and is courtesy of Ian Biggar.