Nick Richards at South Coast in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).
Nick Richards was born in London and worked in land-based UK pirates and the offshore Radio Caroline, only leaving the boat just before it sank on 20th March 1980. After coming to Ireland, he worked at Southside Radio in Dublin before moving to Cork, doing his first show on South Coast on 16th April 1982. Nick was later heard on the short-lived but highly successful KISS FM (1988), a ‘border blaster’ pirate based in Monaghan Town. These days he is a presenter on Cork’s C103.
This is a recording of Nick presenting his ‘Nightline’ show on South Coast from just after midnight on Wednesday 9th June 1982. There’s no chance of falling asleep with plenty of loud rock in the first hour. Part 1 above runs from 0008-0053 and Part 2 below from 0053-0136.
Part 2 from 0053
With so much evening and overnight radio automated these days, it’s refreshing to hear a live DJ reading out requests from listeners. Some of the listeners on that night back in 1982 had impeccable pirate radio credentials: Barry and Ruth Johnson of Anoraks UK in Blackpool, Gary Hogg in Leeds, Stuart Clarke of ABC Radio in Tramore and Prince Terry of shortwave station Westside Radio in Dublin.
Cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated by Paul Davidson. You can find more material from the collection on Radiowaves and the Irish Pirate Radio Archive.
Listen here to an interview with Nick about his time at KISS FM in Monaghan.
Advert for Capitol featuring the Rockabilly programme (courtesy Alan Russell).
The Rockabilly Programme was a regular weekly feature on Dublin’s Capitol Radio (1975 and 1978-1981), initially on Tuesdays before moving to Wednesdays between eleven and midnight. It was presented by Stompin’ George (George Verschoyle), who also hosted a Rockabilly music session on Monday nights at the Magnet Bar in Pearse Street, featuring various local Rockabilly bands such as Rocky De Valera and the Gravediggers, Crazy Cavan and others.
Stompin’ George in the Magnet in 1978.
On this programme from c. August 1978, George is joined by Ferdia Mac Anna (Rocky from Rocky and the Gravediggers) to review and play Ferdia’s top Rockabilly music choices. One of the founders of Capitol, Ed McDowell, is heard giving the timecheck after the programme handover. Thanks to another Capitol founder, Alan Russell, for the recording and photos.
Advert for the Magnet from Hot Press (courtesy Alan Russell).
Click here for a Stompin’ George (George Verschoyle) biography and review of 1970s Dublin Rockabilly music scene.
Click here for Fanning Sessions clips of Rocky and the Gravediggers.
L-R: Chris Barry, Alan Russell and Dave Lee at Capitol in 1978 (courtesy Alan Russell).
This is a documentary about local radio in Ireland as broadcast by Dublin station Capitol Radio in May 1979. Presented by one of the station’s founders Alan Russell, it was aired before the local and European Parliament elections on 7th June and includes interviews with Fianna Fáil politicians as heard on Radio Tralee. There are also clips of early Dublin pirates and audio of a raid on Capitol by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in 1978. We thank Alan Russell for donating this unique recording and for providing the following background to Capitol.
Imagine if you will – a world with no Twitter or Facebook, Netflix or the other internet bells and whistles, no satellite TV or mobile phones. That was the world less than 50 years ago and perhaps one of the reasons radio entertainment was more diverse and popular than today. It was a time prior to independent radio licencing and dozens of stations were operating throughout the country in an unregulated ‘pirate’ capacity, providing local news, entertainment and advertising for local businesses. In Ireland it was a time of social change and crossing the threshold into a new decade, the 1980s.
It’s over 40 years since Capitol Radio – one of Dublin city’s pioneering AM radio stations – closed in March 1981 after three years of daily programming. Capitol had previously broadcast on a weekly basis between July and December 1975 and with assistance from music promoters had aired interviews with musicians and bands, including Phil Lynott, Status Quo, Chris De Burgh and Horslips in their weekly programmes. At the time there was just the one national radio channel – Radio Éireann (now RTÉ) and minimal airtime was provided for contemporary music. RTÉ Radio 2 – now 2FM – was launched in 1979 mainly in response to the pirate stations, which were securing a considerable audience nationally. The station founders Chris Barry, Ed Mc Dowell and Alan Russell had previous airtime experience, Ed having operated Radio Empathy some years before. Another station Director, Tommy Hogarty, secured initial financing from a Dublin publican which helped lease a studio premises.
Alan Russell in Capitol in 1980 (courtesy of Alan).
After carrying out test transmissions in March 1978 Capitol launched daily programmes in April from studios on Bachelors Walk, 100 yards from O’Connell Bridge. Our first aerial was an ambitious quarter-wave dipole which ran from near the Ha’penny Bridge to the roof of our premises and the nearby Bachelor Inn – in exchange for daily adverts! The station frequency was 1358 kHz or 220 metres (later changed to 226 metres) and was heard in the UK and Europe. After the dipole aerial system was repeatedly damaged by nuisance neighbours we changed to an inverted L which was in a more secure area, although we lost the skywave bounce for long distance listeners.
Capitol’s alternative music format was album-oriented and a selective top-40 playlist, with nightly specialist music programmes including jazz, new wave, rock, Irish folk and trad, rockabilly and country and western. From 9pm, free public service broadcasts were aired for the Samaritans, Alone and similar voluntary organisations. Interviews with local singers/authors/celebrities etc. were also a regular feature of daytime programmes. A news service was a later addition, headed by Adrian Horsmann.
Keith York on 24.03.82 in the South Coast studio (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).
Originally from Yorkshire, the late Keith York (‘Yorkie’) worked with many Irish pirate stations on both the engineering and presentation side, including the first South Coast Radio in Cork. In this recording, he presents the drivetime show on South Coast from 5pm on Tuesday 13th April 1982, a few weeks after the station’s launch. News on the hour is read by Mark Lawrence and a promo for the ‘jobline’ service is voiced by another late radio legend, Tony Allan. In the licensed era, Keith worked as chief engineer with Midlands 103 and was well known in the midlands. He died prematurely in 2010.
Cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
Part 1 of the recording above runs from 1659-1746 and part 2 below from 1746-1833.
Part 2 from 1746
Both were made from 104 FM in stereo and are from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
Alan Reid (aka Hendy Condon, RIP) in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).
Alan Reid (real name Henry Condon, known later on radio as Henry Owens), worked in Irish and British radio from the late 1970s until his untimely death in 2013. He began his radio career in the Cork Broadcasting Company (CBC) in 1978, moving to Cork City Local Radio (CCLR) in 1979 and Radio City in 1980 where he held the popular Afternoon Delight slot. After joining South Coast Radio in 1982, Henry presented evening and late-night shows before taking over the breakfast slot after the departure of Peter Madison. Following South Coast, he moved to super-pirates Radio Nova and Q102 in Dublin and later enjoyed a successful career in licensed radio in Ireland and the UK.
Henry is heard here on South Coast from 2204-2304 on Easter Monday, 12th April 1982, recorded from 104 FM in stereo. The recording and photo were kindly donated by Lillian O’Donoghue.
