Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

29th November 202317th December 2023

Non-stop music on Viking 105 from Wicklow

Viking 105 was the final name given to the pirate station that broadcast from Wicklow Town between mid-1982 and the end of 1988. The first station was called Wicklow Community Radio (WCR), that emerged from temporary community stations operating in the town. WCR was relaunched as WLCB (Wicklow Local Community Broadcasting) in the summer of 1985 and aimed a more commercial service at the entire county. WLCB was rebranded as Viking 105 in June 1987 and continued until the end of 1988.

In this recording made soon after the rebranding, the first hour consists of non-stop easy listening, ballads, country and folk music interspersed with adverts. The music changes to contemporary pop in the second hour but there is only one link by the DJ. The name Brendan Cullen is noted on the cassette label. Adverts and idents feature the voice of the legendary Tony Allan, who also did a stint presenting on Viking before moving to ERI in Cork.

The tape was recorded from 104.8 FM, announcing 105, from 1010-1146 on Saturday 8^th August 1987. Viking also broadcast on 1602 kHz AM and was based at the same address as previous versions of the station, 1 Wentworth Place in Wicklow Town. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

27th November 202326th November 2023

Into the early hours on South Coast Radio

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Aged only 20 when he joined, Steve Douglas was South Coast’s youngest DJ, having started in Capital Radio Cork in May 1979 when still a teenager. He later presented on another Cork pirate, Radio City, and began working weekend shifts on South Coast in October 1982 before getting a regular daily slot.

This recording features Steve Douglas finishing off his evening show with a relaxed music mix. News at midnight is read by Andrew Hewkin and includes stories from Cork. Next up is popular South Coast DJ Nick Richards with Nightline into the early hours.

The tape was recorded from 103.7 FM, announced as 104, from 2320-0054 on 11^th and 12^th May 1983. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. A week later the Irish radio world would be rocked by raids on high-profile Dublin stations Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio.

19th November 202324th November 2023

Sunday shows on South Coast Radio

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This recording of South Coast Radio was made on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Cork in 1983. It begins with Pete O’Neill presenting the South Coast Countdown and he is followed by Don Stevens. Station idents are voiced by the legendary Tony Allan, who is also heard on some adverts.

The recording was made from 103.7 FM, announced as 104 MHz, on 6^th March 1983. South Coast Radio also broadcast on 1557 kHz or 194 metres. Sound quality is fair, possibly due to degradation of the tape. First up is Pete O’Neill from 1430-1515 and then Don Stevens from 1115-1200. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

15th November 202315th November 2023

Radio Nova as heard in English midlands

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By the summer of 1984, Radio Nova was riding the crest of a wave. Having endured the storm of the RTÉ jamming, the station was now broadcasting a massive 50kW of power on AM, allowing it greater penetration of the northwest of Britain. After using various FM and AM frequencies to avoid the jamming, in May 1984 Nova switched to 738 kHz and 102.7 FM only, opened an advertising office in Liverpool and began including references to England in news, weather and traffic reports.

This recording was made in the English midlands near Birmingham, south of the area being targetted by Nova in the northwest of England, southern Scotland and the Isle of Man. There is plenty of co-channel interference from the Spanish broadcaster on the same frequency of 738 kHz and deep fading consistent with night-time propagation. Transmitter power would also have been turned down to 10kW at night to minimise interference. On air is Chris Barry, a well-known DJ from the pirate era and later licensed independent radio. News on the hour is read by another familiar Nova voice, Sybil Fennell.

The recording was made on 6^th July 1984 from 2137 to 2307 and is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

13th November 202324th November 2023

Northeast series: Afternoon shows on Boyneside Radio

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By the mid-1980s Boyneside Radio was calling itself the ‘biggest regional radio station in Ireland’ and could be heard over a large area from Dublin to Belfast. From humble origins in Drogheda, Boyneside developed into a network of stations in Counties Meath and Louth, including a Northern service based in Carrickcarnon right on the border. This recording from 1986 features two well-known DJs presenting early afternoon shows. First up is Kieran Murray with the end of the People’s Choice requests programme. He is followed by one of the station’s founders Eddie Caffrey with Afternoon Delight and the Golden Hour. There are plenty of local adverts in the busy pre-Christmas period.

The recording was made between 1350 and 1438 on 25^th November 1986 from Boyneside’s Dublin FM relay transmitter on 105.5 FM. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.