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In 1978, the Dublin pirate radio scene took off in earnest as what were previously sporadic or part-time stations moved to full schedules and developed a more professional sound. This recording features Alternative Radio Dublin (ARD) and the Big D, two stations that emerged from splits from the original Radio Dublin. First up is Big D founder James Dillon with plenty of requests of the ‘madly in love’ variety, live-read adverts and a promo for the Big D roadshow. Fellow DJ John Paul’s sung jingles and the voice of Denis Murray are also heard. 11 Chapel Lane is the postal address and the wavelength announced is 273 metres.
The dial is then changed to 257 metres and to the end of Greg Gaughren’s show on ARD. Greg is standing in for Ronan Collins in the afternoon slot. News at the top of the hour is read by Dave C. (RIP) and sponsored by the Sunday World newspaper. This is followed by Jason Maine with Tuesday’s Maineline Music Programme. The ARD segment in particular is noteworthy for its professionalism, a reminder that some pirates were providing a high-quality service long before the arrival of the likes of Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio into the Irish market.
The recording was made from 1530-1630 sometime in October 1978. It is kindly donated by Ian Biggar.