Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

16th May 202515th May 2025

Lunchtime on Cara 95 FM

Cara 95 FM was a temporary name for Dublin’s love song station launched as Heartbeat in November 1986. The change was short-lived however, and the station reverted to the original Heartbeat name after a few months.

This recording of the afternoon programme was made in the autumn of 1987 and features John Keogh with the usual mixture of love songs, requests and the Mystery Movie competition to win 95 movie tickets. John reads news headlines also and there are adverts for businesses around Dublin.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 95.5 FM on Thursday 1^st October 1987 from 1300-1433.

14th May 202513th May 2025

Border series: Lunchtime on North Atlantic Radio

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North Atlantic Radio was a breakaway station from Donegal pirate Radio North, broadcasting from November 1989 until January 1994, when it reverted to the Radio North name. Both stations were based on the Inishowen peninsula and fishing in the same advertising pool locally and across the border. First up is DJ Laura with a lunchtime mix of requests, country and Irish music and long commercial breaks featuring businesses in Donegal, Derry and Antrim. She is followed by Harry with the afternoon show.

The recording was made from 954 kHz AM on 22^nd June 1991 from 1230-1400 and is kindly donated by Ian Biggar. Audio quality is consistent with AM but there is some distortion in places.

9th May 202530th March 2025

Rockabilly show on South Dublin Radio

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South Dublin Radio was a small pirate station broadcasting from Dún Laoghaire in south Dublin in 1983 and 1984. It was one of several such pirates that popped up for short periods from that area, run by enthusiastic kids looking for a break in broadcasting. The station changed its name to South Dublin Community Radio in 1984 but was gone by the end of that year. Some of those involved were behind the popular 1990s pirate DLR that broadcast from the same area.

This tape of South Dublin Radio features a rockabilly show presented by Scottie Moore. There are home-made liners but no adverts, reflecting the nature of the station, but requests come in from listeners around the Dún Laoghaire area. The short airchecked recording was made by Kieran Murray from 102 FM on Sunday 7^th August 1983 from 1200 onwards and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

7th May 20257th May 2025

Border series: Interview with Francis Callaghan of Radio North

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This interview with Radio North founder Francis Callaghan was conducted in mid-1991, almost two and a half years after the Donegal station defied the new broadcasting laws and decided to stay on the air. Francis gives a short station history, describing how Radio North receives reception reports from listeners throughout Europe and explaining the change of name to Northside Radio in 1989. He also refers to the new breakaway station, North Atlantic Radio, which was at the time broadcasting from the old Radio North location in Carndonagh. Radio North was at the time focusing on serving listeners in Northern Ireland.

This interview was conducted by DX Archive during a visit to Radio North in the village of Muff in May 1991 and was donated by Ian Biggar.

5th May 202530th March 2025

Sunday afternoon on Community Radio Fingal

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Community Radio Fingal (CRF) broadcast to the region of Fingal in north Co. Dublin between 1982 and 1988. A mostly community-oriented service, it was based initially at the Rockabill Hotel in the coastal town of Skerries and then moved to founder Brian Matthews’ house in the village of Loughshinney. At a later stage the station was based at the Swords shopping centre. CRF began broadcasting on 1584 kHz but later moved to the better channel of 1575 kHz. 189 metres was announced throughout.

This short airchecked recording from summer 1982 begins with an unidentified DJ and is followed by a double-hander with Debbie and Damien presenting a music and requests show. There are adverts for small businesses around Swords but in very low audio. The recording was made by Kieran Murray from 1584 kHz on Sunday 18^th July 1982 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.