Treble TR (sometimes written TTTR) was a country and Irish pirate station broadcasting from Dublin from the spring of 1981 until the end of 1988. The station began on 945 kHz AM, announcing 317 metres, adding FM from 1983. A second AM frequency on 891 kHz was added in 1987. Initially based in Rathfarnham near Radio Nova, TTTR later moved to Harold’s Cross south of the city centre. It closed down on 30th December 1988 in line with new broadcasting legislation.
This recording was made as TTTR entered 1986. First up is Conn O’Mahoney who shares plenty of New Year’s requests from listeners around Dublin. He signs off at midnight and hands over to Dave Stewart who picks up the pace a bit, although the music is still country in style. Adverts are heard from small and medium-sized businesses around town.
The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 99 FM between 2343-0030 on 31st December 1985 and 1st January 1986.
Capitol Radio was Dublin’s alternative music station, broadcasting for five-and-a-half years from mid-1983 until the end of 1988. It began by playing album tracks but focused more on alternative/indie in its last two years on air, supporting the many new Irish bands on the growing Dublin music scene. In summer 1986, Capitol launched an evening service, Nitesky 96, which experimented with specialist shows and further promoted indie bands. It had a loyal following among listeners unserved by the ‘hot hits’ format that was popular among the pirate stations and ran a weekly ‘Alternative Night’ in the iconic McGonagle’s nightclub in South Anne Street, to where the station moved its premises in later years.
This recording is of the final half-hour of Capitol/Nitesky on New Year’s Eve 1988 as it prepared to close down for good. On air is station manager Conor Brooks with Tony Lewis and Killian Forde in studio. There is a link-up to a closedown event at Side’s nightclub in Dame Street, from where DJs John Kiely and Matt Dempsey give updates via a scratchy phone line. Conor thanks listeners, advertisers and presenters for their support, singling out McGonagle’s which was so important to Capitol/Nitesky in later years. He also underlines the relationship between the station and the emerging Irish indie scene, saying that one fed the other and distinguished Capitol/Nitesky from mainstream radio stations.
The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 95.8 FM on 31st December 1988 from 2333-0002. It is followed by the sound of the FM transmitter being switched off. A longer airchecked version of the final two hours on air is available below and includes other DJs Tony Gahan and Neil Hayes as well as a visit from Bryan Lambert of Class Radio, which had closed down a few hours earlier.
The co-founder of Belfast’s Irish language radio station Raidió Fáilte, Gearóid Ó Cairealláin, has died after a short illness. Raidió Fáilte was founded as a pirate station in west Belfast in 1985 and was part of a local media infrastructure that included an Irish language newspaper Lá. It broadcast sporadically without a licence for the best part of twenty years, aimed at the west of the city where most Irish speakers are located. Licensed by OFCOM in 2006, Raidió Fáilte now broadcasts on a community licence over a ten-mile radius of the centre and west of the city. From humble origins on the Falls Road, its impressive studios are now located close to the city centre and are arguably the best community radio facility in all of Ireland.
Tá Gearóid Ó Cairealláin, duine de bhunaitheoirí stáisiún raidió Gaeilge Bhéal Feirste, Raidió Fáilte, tar éis bháis. Bunaíodh Raidió Fáilte mar staisiún bradach in iarthar Bhéal Feirste in 1985 chomh maith leis an nuachtán Lá agus tionscadail Ghaeilge eile. Chraol sé ag amannta éagsúla ar feadh fiche bliain, dírithe ar iarthar na cathrach áit a bhfuil an chuid is mó de phobal na Gaeilge lonnaithe. Tar éis dó ceadúnas a fháil ó OFCOM in 2006, tá Raidió Fáilte ag craoladh go dleathach anois thar raon deich míle i lár agus in iarthar na cathrach. Tá dul chun cinn éachtach déanta aige ó bunaíodh é i lóistín sealadach ar Bhóthar na bhFál agus d’fhéadfaí a rá go bhfuil an stiúideó ina bhfuil sé suite anois ar an gceann is fearr dá bhfuil ag aon stáisiún raidió pobail in Éirinn.
The station emerged from language activism in the nationalist west of the city in the 1980s. A group of people led by Gearóid Ó Cairealláin wanted to develop Irish language cultural activities and media based on a community development ethos. Ó Cairealláin had been influenced by earlier Irish language initiatives and he and other activists saw the establishment of local media as essential to the revival of Irish. They were aware of previous local pirates, particularly Radio Free Belfast that was set up by Republicans at the start of the Troubles, and Galway pirate Saor-Raidió Chonamara from 1970. Raidió Fáilte began broadcasting in spring 1985 on a trial basis but it and other related projects were set back by a fire in the premises. The group moved into the Conway Mill building on the Falls Road in 1986 and began rebuilding the radio and other initiatives, cycling around Ireland to raise funds. They acquired a new AM transmitter from one of the many pirate stations in Dublin and began broadcasting on a regular basis. Raidió Fáilte moved into the new Irish language cultural centre, the Cultúrlann, on the Falls Road in 1991. The broadcasts were sporadic at this stage but Raidió Fáilte returned on a more regular basis in the mid-1990s and benefited from a larger group of volunteers and a new FM transmitter.
This recording of Raidió Fáilte during its pirate days features Malachy Duffin with a musical mix ranging from traditional to classics. It was recorded in Belfast from 107 FM on 1st April 2005 between 1836-1914. Thanks to Ian Biggar for the donation. We extend our sympathy to the family and friends of Gearóid Ó Cairealláin and pay tribute to his enormous contribution to Irish language media in Belfast. We also thank Eoghan Ó Néill for sharing the history of Raidió Fáilte with John Walsh in previous interviews.
Déanaimid comhbhrón ó chroí le muintir agus le cairde Ghearóid Uí Chairealláin agus aithnímid an obair éachtach a rinne sé ar son na Gaeilge agus na meán i mBéal Feirste. Gabhaimid buíochas chomh maith le hEoghan Ó Néill as stair Raidió Fáilte a roinnt linn.
Energy 103 quickly made inroads in the competitive Dublin radio market after it emerged from the ashes of Radio Nova in the spring of 1986. This recording is of popular DJ Gareth O’Callaghan presenting the drivetime show on a balmy summer evening in 1986. The show includes gig and event guides, a teaser, birthday slot, weather forecasts from Dublin and across Europe and the usual agency adverts associated with Energy 103. Gareth O’Callaghan continues to broadcast on Irish radio to this day.
The recording was made from 103 FM from 1805-1853 on 7th July 1986 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.
After a temporary hiatus in the broadcasts of Donegal station WABC Hot Hits over the summer of 1990, by October that year the chart music service had returned to the air and was blasting its signal across the border into Derry and beyond. In November 1990 Free Radio News from Ireland confirmed the resumption of transmissions from WABC Hot Hits on 101.7 MHz and reported that WABC Gold had installed a new aerial system for the 101.2 MHz transmissions resulting in increased signal strength in the Coleraine area. Staff shortages was given as the reason for the delay in getting the Hot Hits station back on air.
This recording is of the Hot Hits service following its resumption. Declan Gill is on air and regularly uses the strapline ‘Hot Hits 101’. There are plenty of advertising promos for both Hot Hits and Gold and adverts for small businesses in Counties Derry and Antrim, many voiced by station founder Paul Barnett (RIP) and his then wife Krissi Carpenter. The recording was made from 101.7 FM on 10th October 1990 from 1315-1445 with Declan Gill and ‘network news’ at the top of the hour is read by Krissi Carpenter. Thanks to Ian Biggar for the donation and for background information.