Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

2nd November 20261st November 2026

Saturday evening on ABC Radio from Waterford

ABC Radio was a popular and professional pirate station broadcasting from various locations in Co. Waterford from 1982-1988. It was set up by four English DJs in a caravan in the coastal resort of Tramore but expanded over time and moved into a more professional facility in Waterford City in 1984. From then on ABC grew into a successful and popular station covering the southeast.

This recording of a Saturday evening show was made in the autumn of 1986. First we hear the final few minutes of the Andy Ellis programme, followed by news also read by Andy. Next is Dave Hunt with the Music for Heads show and a promise of features on Eric Clapton and David Bowie later that evening. The tape was made on between 1857-1942 on Saturday 4^th October 1986 from 103.2 FM, which was the station’s Tramore relay at the time. Its main frequency was 1026 kHz AM.

27th October 202627th October 2026

Saturday evening on Galway’s Quincentennial Radio

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Quincentennial Radio was a short-lived Galway station that came on air in early 1989 in defiance of the New Year’s Eve deadline for the pirates to leave the airwaves. It broadcast from 2^nd January until sometime in April, when it closed following a warning from the authorities. This recording is of a Saturday evening programme presented by Shane Martin and Brian Walsh, two DJs previously heard on former Galway pirate Coast 103. Station idents are voiced by the late Tony Allan.

The tape was made from 98.4 FM between 1751-1936 on Saturday 28^th January 1989 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. Audio quality is generally good but there is slight wobble in places due to the age of the cassette.

26th October 202624th October 2026

Hallowe’en on The Sound Channel

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Sound Channel logo from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The Sound Channel was a professional Limerick pirate station broadcasting from 1986-1988. This recording was made on its final Hallowe’en in 1988, two months before the station closed down in line with new broadcasting legislation. On air is Stuart Clark, formerly of ABC in Waterford, with the Afternoon Plus show. Syndicated bulletins from the UK service Independent Radio News (IRN) are broadcast every hour.

The recording was made from 98.7 FM between 1345-1515 on Bank Holiday Monday 31^st October 1988 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

21st October 202621st October 2026

Radio West Anoraks’ Show (15th June 1986)

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This edition of the Radio West Anoraks’ Show was recorded in June 1986, a few months after the show first occupied its weekly slot on the midlands pirate. On air in this show are Phil Hilton and station boss Shaun Coyne, who reports on the pirate scene in London following a recent visit. There is a phone call from ABC Radio in Waterford and other stations featured include new Galway station Emerald FM, new Louth pirate East Coast Radio and the large Cork station ERI, which is temporarily off the air. Commercial breaks include a promo for Anoraks UK voiced by the legendary Bob Gallico (RIP) and the programme is relayed by shortwave pirate Radio Rainbow International.

The recording was made from 765 kHz AM between 1111-1159 on Sunday 15^th June 1986 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

19th October 202618th October 2026

Northeast series: Mid-morning show on Boyneside Radio

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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 13^th August 1984 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.