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Nick Richards marks 100 shows on South Coast Radio

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Nick Richards marks 100 shows on South Coast Radio
Nick Richards at South Coast Radio in December 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

This is a recording of the 100th programme presented by popular South Coast Radio DJ Nick Richards in August 1982. At this stage of South Coast’s run, Nick’s Nightline show was heard on the Cork station in the late evening and early hours. Nick mentions August 14th 1967, when offshore pirate radio ships were closed down under new UK legislation, and plays music to make the occasion.  

This partially airchecked recording begins just after midnight on Friday 13th August 1982 and is from 104 FM. Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for the donation.

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Paul Vincent on Galway’s WLS

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Paul Vincent on Galway's WLS
Exterior of WLS studios in Prospect Hill Galway in 1986 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

Paul Vincent (aka Brendan Mee) was a DJ on the Galway pirate WLS and later did stints on the border pirate Zee 103 and the offshore station the Voice of Peace. This airchecked recording is of him on an undated show from July 1986, which includes a detailed events guide for Galway for the late summer and autumn. The clip below is of Brendan reading the WLS midday news bulletin on Thursday 19th June 1986.

WLS news on 19.06.1986

Thanks for Brendan Mee for the donation.

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South Coast Top 40 with Siobhán Walls

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South Coast Top 40 with Siobhán Walls
South Coast compliments slip (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

This is Siobhán Walls presenting the South Coast Top 40 on Saturday 9th October 1982. The recording begins at 1400 and is partially edited. It was recorded from 104 FM in mono and audio quality is fair with some distortion in places.

Siobhán’s radio career spanned both pirates and legal stations. She was involved in the early days of Sunshine Radio in Dublin, reading her first news bulletin on 25th November 1980. She was appointed Head of News in Sunshine in November 1981 and also did a late-night show at weekends. In August 1982, she moved to South Coast Radio and would later work in another big Cork station, ERI. In the licensed era, Siobhán presented a late night show on the doomed national independent station Century Radio (1989-1991) and worked in television production in the 1990s. She is now a celebrant with the Humanist Association of Ireland. Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for background information and the recording.

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Cork’s South Coast Radio Top 40

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Cork's South Coast Radio Top 40
Pete O’Neill in the South Coast studio (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

In its first year on air, Cork’s popular new station South Coast Radio broadcast its own Top 40 on Saturday afternoons with a repeat on Tuesday nights. This show from Saturday 19th June 1982 is presented by Pete O’Neill, who is standing in for Mark Lawrence. The usual mix of local and agency adverts is heard throughout, evidence of South Coast’s growing success in the Cork radio market. The Top 40 is followed by the favourite records of the station’s DJs that week. There are no timechecks in the recording, presumably because it would be repeated. The final section below also contains snippets of Nick Richards, Tony Allan and Hugh Browne from what seem to be other editions of the Top 40 show.

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 and clips of other Top 40 shows

Audio quality is fair to good with some distortion in places. The recording was made from 104 FM and is courtesy of Lillian O’Donoghue.

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Ronan Collins and Ian Dempsey on ARD

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Ronan Collins and Ian Dempsey on ARD
Ian Dempsey in the ARD/Radio 257 studios at the Crofton (courtesy Noel Hiney)

This is a selection of adverts, promos and clips from popular Dublin station ARD in 1979, including part of the station’s final day before relaunching as Radio 257 at the beginning of 1980. Included is a promo for a phone-in show presented by Ronan Collins who went on to become a household name in RTÉ. Part of Ian Dempsey’s final show on ARD is heard on 31st December 1979. There are also clips of Sylvia on the final day and of Dave Cunningham on the new Radio 257.

This recording was made by Kieran Murray from both FM and AM and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.