Interview: Tom Hardy (Radio Nova, KISS FM 102.7, KISS FM Monaghan)

Interview: Tom Hardy (Radio Nova, KISS FM 102.7, KISS FM Monaghan)
Tom Hardy at Radio Nova on 19th May 1983, the day of the official closedown (courtesy Joe King).

In this interview the late Tom Hardy speaks to John Walsh about his memories of Radio Nova including the raid of 1983, Nova’s sister station KISS FM 102.7, KISS FM (Monaghan) and his views about the current state of radio.

The interview was conducted on October 20th 2018 when over one hundred radio anoraks gathered in the Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin. The purpose was to meet and record oral history of the pirate radio era.

Interview: Eoin Ronayne (Suirside Radio, WLR)

Interview: Eoin Ronayne (Suirside Radio, WLR)
WLR car sticker, courtesy of DX Archive.

On October 20th 2018 over 100 radio anoraks gathered in the Ballsbridge Hotel Dublin. The purpose was to meet and record oral history of the pirate radio era.

In this interview Eoin Ronayne talks about his days at Suirside Radio and Waterford Local Radio (WLR) and describes his path to professional journalism and RTÉ Radio 2. WLR was one of the few former pirates to obtain a license in 1989. The interviewer is John Walsh and this was broadcast on Wireless on Flirt FM in November 2018.

Interview: Enda Caldwell (Atlantic 252)

On October 20th 2018 over 100 radio anoraks gathered in the Ballsbridge Hotel Dublin. The purpose was to meet and record oral history of the pirate radio era.

Enda Caldwell is the youngest (and youngest-looking) radio journeyman. He is to radio what Ian Botham is to cricket, an all-round good guy. Enda discusses his past and radio’s future in a frank full-on way. If you love radio this much, you just have to listen. The interviewer is Dónal Greene.

Interview: Bill Ebrill, transmitter man

Interview: Bill Ebrill, transmitter man

Radio engineer Bill Ebrill built transmitters for many of the early pirates including Radio Caroline Dublin, Radio Dublin, Big D, Radio Carousel and Northern Radio. In this interview, he discusses transmitters and the early days of pirate radio with Dónal Greene.

The interview was recorded on October 20th 2018 when over 100 radio anoraks gathered in the Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin. The purpose was to meet and record oral history of the pirate radio era.

Interview: Eamonn O’Connor

On October 20th 2018 over 100 radio anoraks gathered in the Ballsbridge Hotel Dublin. The purpose was to meet and record oral history of the pirate radio era.

Eammon O’Connor is a radio enthusiast and ham radio operator from Raheny in Dublin 5. He is very well known to the AM pirate operators of the 1970s from his correspondence with stations. Eamonn spoke to Dónal Greene about his radio memories.