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St. Ita’s Hospital Radio closes after more than 40 years

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St. Ita's Hospital Radio closes after more than 40 years
Manager Tom Noctor in 2019 (photo by Brian Greene)

On 30th November 2024 one of Ireland’s longest-running radio stations, St. Ita’s Hospital Radio in north Co. Dublin, closed down. Based at the former St. Ita’s Hospital complex in the seaside village of Portrane, the radio station began broadcasting as a pirate in December 1983. A report by Anoraks Ireland from March 1984 lists ‘Hospital Radio, c/o The Rehabilitation Hospital, Portrane, Co. Dublin’ and the station features on 97.1 FM in logs from 1985 onwards. There are few known recordings of the station so we are delighted to share this short extract from a show presented by Seán Cahill. The undated tape is in the Pirate.ie collection but we estimate it to be from October 1985.

Hospital Radio recording from October 1985 (estimated)

St. Ita’s Hospital Radio was one of a handful of pirates to continue broadcasting after new broadcasting laws came into effect in 1989. However, unlike others who risked stiff penalties if caught, St. Ita’s was granted a dispensation from the requirement to close down by the then Minister for Communications, Ray Burke, in whose constituency the station was located. St. Ita’s Hospital Radio manager from 1989, Tom Noctor, said that it was in effect the first independent station in Ireland to be licensed, as the dispensation was granted before licences were awarded to larger commercial stations. Apart from a brief break in 1994, St. Ita’s broadcast continuously on low power (89.5 FM) to Portrane and later also online but on 23rd November 2024, it announced on its Facebook page that it would close down a week later on 30th November. A new online station replaced the original FM service.

St. Ita's Hospital Radio closes after more than 40 years

After serving St. Ita’s Hospital for over 40 years, the station will officially go off the air, marking the end of an era for the cherished service that has brought comfort, entertainment and a sense of connection to countless listeners, staff, family and friends at St. Ita’s Hospital Campus, Portrane, Co. Dublin.

“This is a deeply emotional moment for all of us,” said Tom Noctor, Station Manager. “For decades, St. Ita’s has been more than just a radio station; it’s been a lifeline for all connected to St. Ita’s Hospital and the surrounding area of North County Dublin. We are incredibly proud of the legacy we leave behind and grateful to everyone who has supported us on this journey.”

Despite the closure, the station’s team hopes its spirit will live on in the memories of those it touched.

St. Ita's Hospital Radio closes after more than 40 years
Sign at Hospital Radio studios in 2019 (photo by Brian Greene)

No official reason was given for the closure of St. Ita’s Hospital Radio but there have been no patients in the original hospital buildings since 2013 and today the campus is a designated architectural conservation area and the site of the National Forensic Mental Health Service. It is unfortunate that the Health Services Executive did not seize the opportunity to develop the station as a way of supporting mental health and wellbeing in the community.  

St. Ita's Hospital Radio closes after more than 40 years
Hospital Radio studios in 2019 (photo by Brian Greene)

Brian Greene of Pirate.ie visited St. Ita’s Hospital Radio in 2019 and interviewed Tom Noctor about the station’s history and its role in the community. This interview was first broadcast on the media show Wireless on Flirt FM in Galway in April 2019.

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Interview with Aidan Cooney on Radio Dublin in 1979

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Interview with Aidan Cooney on Radio Dublin in 1979
Part of the Tipler Collection donated to Pirate.ie

English radio anorak Leon Tipler (RIP) returned to Ireland in August 1979 to record more of the Irish pirates and interview some of those involved in the expanding scene. This original recording from his collection features a visit to Radio Dublin and an interview with Aidan Jay (Aidan Cooney) about how the station was faring, its coverage area and plans to go on FM in the coming weeks.

A shorter version of this interview was included in Tipler’s acclaimed documentary series The Irish Pirates. This recording was made on 30th August 1979 and is donated to us by Steve England. Aidan Cooney continues to broadcast on radio to this day.

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Northeast series: Don Allen interviewed on Radio Carousel

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Northeast series: Don Allen interviewed on Radio Carousel
Don pictured at Cork station ERI in 1983 (courtesy Svenn Martinsen).

The late Don Allen was one of the best-known DJs of the pirate era in the UK and Ireland. Arriving in the UK from Canada in 1965, the Canadian drew on his life-long passion for country music to promote the genre on the airwaves and he gained huge followings on numerous stations big and small over the next 30 years, including into the licensed era. This fascinating interview with Don from 1982 was broadcast on Radio Carousel Navan, which he had recently joined. It covers in depth his early radio experience in Canada and the US and the story of his decision to come to Europe after reading an article about offshore station Radio Caroline.

Don recounts the story of his involvement in Caroline from 1965-1968 including conditions on board the ship off the Isle of Man, the annoyance of the Manx government with the decision to outlaw the station, the letters from fans and his friendship with other DJs such as Tony Blackburn, Tony Prince, Keith Skues and Simon Dee. In 1969, Don became programme controller of Manx Radio and drew on his Caroline experience to tighten the station’s sound and promote the personality of the DJ. In the 1970s, he describes how he worked simultaneously for the pirates and the ‘establishment’, dividing his time first between BBC Radio Merseyside and the unlicensed offshore Radio North Sea International.

Ian Biggar, who worked in Radio Carousel at the same time, recalls his memories of this period and of Don:

Don’s appearance at Carousel coincided with my time there. I can remember being in the Dundalk studio and station owner Hugh Hardy mentioned that Don Allen had been on the phone looking for work. Hugh was wary of Don due to his reputation as THE country jock. I clearly remember Don was not allowed to broadcast on the Dundalk station as that was Hardy’s patch.

I remember one morning in Drogheda tuning in to the Navan station and hearing Don on air. What’s more I was following him on the schedule. You can imagine how excited I was heading across to Navan on the bus in anticipation of meeting one of my heroes from Radio Nordsee International. Don was a gentleman and we had many conversations about the old offshore radio days.

I think Hardy had once  again bitten off too much with starting a station in Castleblaney and trying to establish Carousel in Drogheda. So, Don and I were let go on early June 1982. I last saw him in the Drogheda studio in the Boyne Valley Hotel as I was about to catch the train to Belfast for the onward ferry to Scotland. Don asked if I was interested in joining the Voice of Peace off Israel as he had been in contact with them. ‘No need for a demo, if I say your good enough you’re in’, he said. I answered that I was interested but just wanted to take a short holiday in Scotland and would call him.

In the end neither Don nor I went to the Peace Ship. I headed to Cork for the start of ERI and Don went back to Carousel when Hardy’s finances improved. He was there for a few more months, but assume at the same time was planning for Royal County Radio, a rival Navan station.

Northeast series: Don Allen interviewed on Radio Carousel
Screenshot of a VHS interview with Don Allen at Radio Star Country in 1989 (courtesy Miles Johnston).

This interview with Don Allen was broadcast between approximately 1900-2000 on Tuesday 11th May 1982. The presenter is Pádraig Walsh and the tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. This is a studio copy but Radio Carousel Navan broadcast at the time on 1386 kHz, announcing 210 metres. Don Allen’s final pirate was Radio Star Country in Monaghan, one of a handful of stations to defy the 1989 legislation outlawing unlicensed radio. He later took up a post on licensed station Midlands Radio 3 where his Country Jamboree was a hugely popular show up to his untimely death in 1995.

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Mark O’Toole RIP

it is with sadness that on 22/03/2024 we learned of the death of Mark O’Toole – Mark was the founder of Charity Radio and his lifetime was filled with radio experience from Wonderland Radio to Chairperson of Tallaght Community Radio to popular All 80s radio – Mark was active on MW, SW and FM over the decades. His friends at Charity Radio are shocked by the news which filtered in on Friday evening.

Mark was very generous with his time and was a great fixer in the radio business. He was active outside of broadcasting with Community Centres, Food Banks and the work he did with the Irish Heart Foundation. Our condolences to his Family, Friends and the wider radio community who knew Mark. 73’s and respect to his vision and actions which are all around us.

In 2015 I sat down with Mark for a college project where he got to explain the reasons he set up Radioactive now Charity Radio.

Having previously been founder & chairperson of Tallaght Community Radio back in the 1990s Mark knew about the power of radio in audience reach and advocacy. For Mark this was a light bulb moment. Radio could help the Irish Heart Foundation. Advertising is very effective but it’s also very expensive, what if there were a platform where charities could advertise for free? From humble beginnings on a laptop in a bedroom Charity Radio was born in Walkinstown.

full written article is here Charity begins at home in Walkinstown

and a 15 minute interview with Mark is here

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Anoraks Ireland featured on Radio Caroline Cork

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Anoraks Ireland featured on Radio Caroline Cork
Generic Anoraks Ireland cassette inlay from our collection.

Many of our recordings are from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson (Tony Donlon, RIP). Tony travelled Ireland throughout the 1980s visiting pirate stations big and small, making recordings and taking photographs. In this recording, he is interviewed on Radio Caroline Cork during a visit just before Christmas 1984.

In the interview, Tony tells station boss Dave Hammond that the aim of Anoraks Ireland is to promote free and independent radio in Ireland. He opposes plans to allow RTÉ control local radio and speculates that if passed, the radio bill will establish just two stations in Dublin and one each in the other cities including Cork. The proposed broadcasting legislation of the time ultimately failed due to ideological differences between the coalition partners and it was not until 1988 that laws were adopted to licence independent radio.

This recording was made from around 1245 on Thursday 13th December 1984 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. No frequency is given.