Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

25th March 202520th February 2025

More of Tony Dixon’s Soul Special on Sunshine Radio

One of Sunshine Radio’s most popular DJs Tony Dixon (RIP) was fondly remembered for his Saturday night Soul Special show in the station’s early years. This edition from 1982 contains the usual mix of the latest soul tracks as well as classics. There are no adverts but several of the familiar Sunshine jingles. Tony mentions three loyal fans who record the show every week and bring the tapes with them to Amsterdam so that friends there can listen to it.

Tony also presented Good Day Sunshine each afternoon, as highlighted by this image from the Sunshine Review, a glossy magazine published by Sunshine in 1985. After a long radio career, he died prematurely in 2010.

This FM recording was made on 11^th September 1982 between 1910-1940. No frequency is noted, but Sunshine was on 101.5 FM at the time, as well as 531 kHz AM. Thanks to Shay Geoghegan for the donation.

23rd March 202520th February 2025

Sunday afternoon on Wicklow Community Radio

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Wicklow Community Radio (WCR) began broadcasting from Wicklow Town in mid-1982, emerging from a network of temporary community stations set up by the Community Broadcasting Cooperative in Dublin in the early 1980s. It relaunched as Wicklow Local Community Broadcasting (WLCB) in summer 1985, which was more commercially-oriented despite the name. A final change in July 1987 rebranded the station as Viking 105, and it continued as such until the end of 1988.

This is an airchecked recording of WCR from 1983. It begins with the end of the WCR Top 30 Show with David Byrne and is followed by Victor Ryan with Sounds Easy. There are plenty of adverts for businesses around Wicklow and reference to the Maytime festival in Newtownmountkennedy. WCR broadcast on 1512 kHz AM at the time, and station liners feature that frequency. The DJ (and marketing material above) also refers to 198.4 metres, which was unusual as metres were often rounded up or down, sometimes quite generously.

The recording was made by Kieran Murray between 1630-1730 from 1512 kHz on Sunday 1^st May 1983 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

22nd March 202519th February 2025

Northeast series: Evening shows on Radio Carousel Navan

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Radio Carousel Navan began broadcasting in early 1982 as an offshoot of the original Dundalk station, as owner Hugh Hardy expanded his regional radio network in the northeast. By 1982, there were four Carousel stations in Dundalk, Drogheda, Navan and on the border aimed at Newry. The Navan station was based in a glass kiosk in the town’s new shopping centre, so had excellent visibility for its audience.

This short airchecked recording from 1982 begins with Tina Anderson, who signs off at the end of Country Call shortly before 2000. She is followed by Robbie Byrne on his final show on the station and finally by Caroline Carter with Late Night Radio until midnight. Familiar Carousel DJs are heard voicing adverts for businesses around the town. The tape ends with the Radio Carousel theme tune Don’t Stop the Carousel by Roy Taylor and the Nevada.

The recording was made by Kieran Murray, former manager of the station, from 1386 kHz AM (announcing 210 metres) on September 22^nd 1982 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. Audio quality is fair, with some cassette wobble after more than 40 years. After Hugh Hardy began winding down the Carousel network in 1987, the Navan station was the last outlet to close in 1988.

19th March 202521st March 2025

Border series: More of Donegal station Northside Radio

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This is another recording of Northside Radio, to which Radio North changed its name after some of those involved stepped back from the pirate station in 1989 to apply for a licence for the north Donegal franchise. On air at lunchtime is station manager Francis Callaghan with country and Irish music and plenty of requests from both sides of the border. Francis also reads out community notices and presents the daily Helpline slot. Most but not all adverts are from the North and there is a promo for a Northside Radio roadshow in Co. Derry. The station reverted to Radio North a few weeks later after the licence application was unsuccessful.

This recording of Northside Radio was made from 846 kHz AM on Wednesday 23^rd August 1989 between 1309-1440 from 846 kHz AM (the station also broadcast on 98 FM at the time). Reception is fair and consistent with daytime groundwave reception as this tape was recorded in Scotland. Thanks to Ian Biggar for the donation.

16th March 202520th February 2025

Sunday afternoon on Waterford Local Radio

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Waterford Local Radio was one of the longest-running and most successful Irish pirate stations, broadcasting continuously from 1978-1988 and subsequently earning the licence for Co. Waterford. This recording is of the Frankie King Show on a Sunday afternoon in 1983. There are plenty of requests from listeners and adverts are heard for local businesses from Waterford City and beyond, including one for a WLR roadshow at a local hotel. Voices on adverts include station founder Rick Whelan and Clodagh Walsh, who went on to work as a journalist in licensed radio. News on the hour is read by Denise Wall.

This airchecked recording was made from by Kieran Murray on Sunday 24^th April 1983 between 1400 and 1600 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. 88.6 FM is noted on the cassette label but 88.8 and 100 FM were the frequencies announced by WLR at the time. The station also broadcast on 1197 kHz AM, announcing 252 metres as reflected in some of the liners in this recording.