Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive
Open Free Radio Archive
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This is a recording of part of the Sunday afternoon oldies show on Cork City Local Radio. The presenter refers to himself only as ‘BG’ and promises that the music ‘will make your valves glow or your batteries run low’. Audio quality is poor but there are a few interesting retro jingles. The recording was made from 1600-1630 on 24th August 1980 and is donated by Lillian O’Donoghue.
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This recording of Cork City Local Radio (CCLR) is of the Light Night Extra programme presented by Fergus Dalton on Monday 21st July 1980 from 2202-2322. There are plenty of station idents and short comedy segments between records and a special request is played for loyal listener Lillian McCarthy (O’Donoghue). Fergus also previews the following day’s programmes on 261 metres.
Audio quality is poor as this recording was made by placing a tape recorder up against an AM radio. Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for the donation.
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Continuing our series on the Early Cork Pirates, this is a recording of John Dolan on Cork City Local Radio (CCLR) from sometime in 1980. 261 metres is the announced wavelength. Adverts are heard for Keating’s Butchers and Molloy’s Footwear. Lillian McCarthy (O’Donoghue) gets a mention, as John plays his old signature tune from the Cork Broadcasting Company (CBC) for her. The recording of John’s show runs from 1534-1601 and he is followed by Bob Wilson with Cork’s Top 20.
We thank Lillian O’Donoghue for this donation.
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Ireland’s original Christmas station was Radio Snowflake, which broadcast every festive season from 1982 to 1988 and in later years online. It was set up by Dave Reddy of the Community Broadcasting Co-operative (CBC) who also ran pop-up stations such as Radio Sandymount and Radio Donnybrook.
This recording of Radio Snowflake was made in the early hours of 1st January 1984 from 0330-0430 (with some airchecks) and features well-known presenters on the CBC stations, Charlie Sheehan and David Baker. Listeners phone in with requests and dedications, an unpredictable venture given the time of night and year. The recording was made from 99.9 FM and is donated kindly by David Baker.
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This is a recording of Dublin station the Big D in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1980. To mark the occasion, there is a link-up with Denis Murray by a poor quality phone line to a pub at John’s Lane Church in the city centre. Revellers, many of them worse for wear, come on the line to talk to Vincent Stewart in the studio. Clearly Big D is delighted at the departure of rival station ARD, judging by the canned laughter when Vincent announces that the other station has just closed down.
Other DJs and staff are in the studio with best wishes for the new decade. There are pleas for peace given the ongoing horrors of the Troubles and the broadcast ends with the Garda Síochána choir singing ‘Let There be Peace on Earth’. This is followed by pre-recorded music through the night. The recording was made from 273 metres (1116 kHz) from 0054-0120 on 1st January 1980. Thanks to Shay Geoghegan for the donation.