Sunshine sticker from 1985 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
Sunshine Radio (1980-1988) was located behind the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock on the north Dublin coast. The hotel itself and the adjoining Tamango’s nightclub were regular advertisers on Sunshine, and the station frequently broadcast live club nights from Tamango’s at the weekend.
Advert for Sands Hotel including Tamango’s logo in the Sunshine Review 1985 (courtesy DX Archive).
This recording from just before Christmas 1985 features part of the Midnight Megamix with Jim Kemmy, broadcast live from Tamango’s. News is read by Joyce Jackson, who would go to to work in RTÉ in the 1990s. The recording was made from 101.5 FM from 0049-1037 on Sunday 15th December 1985 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.
Part of the Radio Rainbow antenna system in 1986 (courtesy Kieran Murray).
This is another episode of the Free Radio Campaign (FRC) on Louth shortwave station Radio Rainbow International (1985-1988). It is presented by Kieran Murray, who describes Radio Rainbow as the biggest free shortwave station in Europe at the time. The Louth station operated on much higher power than other Irish shortwave pirates, and received reception reports from across Europe during its three years on air.
Episode #35 of the FRC show contains Boola Boola by Drifter Sound, the theme tune to Radio Dublin, which was then celebrating its 20th birthday. There’s the customary 5-minute sweep of jingles and a feature on early 1980s stations ARD and Southside Radio. The free radio newsdesk includes information about the raid on KISS FM in Dublin earlier that month.
The recording was made on Sunday 12th October 1986 from 1100-1200 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. This is a studio copy but Radio Rainbow International at this time broadcast on 6240 kHz shortwave and the FRC show was relayed on various stations in Ireland and elsewhere.
Cara 95 was a temporary name change to the Dublin love songs station Heartbeat FM (1986-1988). Heartbeat launched in November 1986 and quickly made a mark in the Dublin market with its popular musical diet. The station was rebranded as Cara 95 in 1987 but soon reverted to Heartbeat because listeners preferred the original name. Heartbeat closed at the end of 1988 but returned in the 1990s as a pirate and eventually as a temporary licensed station in the 2000s. It is now an online station.
This recording of the short-lived Cara 95 features part of the Friday evening drivetime show presented by Eamonn Kelly, who had previously been heard on other pirates in Dublin and Cork. The laid-back music is interspersed with jingles and idents for ‘Cara 95 – the heartbeat of Dublin City’, a nod to the original name. There is also a paperback writers’ slot and a cinema review, along with a competition to win tickets to see 95 movies. Adverts are for local businesses around the city and include the Sunday World newspaper, a frequent advertiser on the pirates. News on the hour is read by the late Maurice Nevin.
The recording was made from 95.5 FM on Friday 25th September 1987 from 1759-1931 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.
Big L was one of the longer-running pirates from Limerick City, broadcasting from 1978 until 1985. It was set up by English DJ Mike Richardson and Hayman Harris (a nephew of actor Richard Harris) and based in Ellen Street in the city centre. The station was raided shortly after its launch in June 1978 but returned to the air and consolidated its audience and advertisers over time. The station occupied various frequencies towards the top end of the medium wave band and later added FM. An article in the Limerick Echo in August 1984 claimed that with four transmitters, Big L covered an area of a quarter of a million people in Limerick, Clare, Kerry, Tipperary and Cork. However, by April 1985 Big L had closed down, bringing almost seven years of broadcasting to an end. A more detailed station history written by Mike Richardson is available here.
Big L studio photo from 1984 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
This recording of Big L was made in the run-up to its final Christmas in 1984 and features part of the afternoon drivetime show with Liam Ahern. Music is a mixture of chart, oldies and ballads and adverts from Limerick City and surrounding towns are heard. There are some technical issues during the programme and crackle is audible on the FM reception.
Original inlay from Anoraks Ireland cassette
The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 1605-1650 on Wednesday 12th December 1984 from 102 FM. A log from around the same time listed Big L on 1560 kHz AM (off-channel) and 91.7, 98.3 and 104.2 FM.
Letterhead of Radio Rainbow International (courtesy Eddie Caffrey).
Radio Rainbow International was a high-powered shortwave station broadcasting from Co. Louth between 1985-1988. It was set up by the engineer of Boyneside Radio, Eddie Caffrey and other Boyneside presenters were also involved, including Kieran Murray with the weekly Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show featuring radio news from home and abroad. Initially, Radio Rainbow broadcast every Sunday morning across Europe on 6240 kHz in the 48-metre band. Local transmitters were later added on AM and FM.
In edition #28 of the FRC, Kieran Murray welcomes listeners hearing relays on Radio Veronica in Liverpool and Radio Crystal in Surrey and reminds other free radio stations in Europe that they are welcome to carry the programme. Promos for Anoraks UK are voiced by the late Bob Gallico. Listeners’ letters come from Ireland and the UK and there is the usual 5-minute sweep of jingles. The feature covers a recording of London pirate Thameside Radio from 1980 and is followed by the weekly FRC newsdesk.
Original cassette inlay from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made on Sunday 3rd August 1986 from 1100-1200. This is a studio copy in stereo but there is some wobble of the cassette due to degradation over time.
