Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

21st June 202321st June 2023

Border series: Don Allen heard in Norway on Radio Star Country

Don Allen (RIP) was a familiar voice on the Irish pirate scene and did a stint at Monaghan station Radio Star Country in 1989 and the early 1990s. This recording of Radio Star Country features Don with his live afternoon American country music show, as received in Norway due to the magic of AM propagation. Don is also heard on promos and adverts, as is station founder and owner Gerry Byrne.

The recording was made from 1632-1645 on 17th January 1990 from 981 kHz in Solsvik on the western Norwegian coast using a Drake SPR-4 receiver with a 200-metre antenna facing the southwest and Ireland. Audio quality is poor with deep fading and the Algerian station also broadcasting on 981 kHz dominates for a time, all part of the fun of DXing. Thanks to Svenn Martinsen for the donation.

20th June 202318th June 2023

Q102 outside broadcast from Dublin city centre

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Q102 logo from 1987 (Alan MacSimoin collection).

By summer 1987 after more than two years on air, Q102 was well established as one of the leading pirate radio stations in Dublin and Ireland. It and other super-pirates repeatedly pushed the boundaries in terms of content, standards and technology and this tape is a good example of the high levels of professionalism attained by the bigger stations towards the end of the 1980s pirate era.

Q102 outside broadcast from Dublin city centre — Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The recording features an outside broadcast by Q102 from the Switzer’s department store during the Midsummer Madness party taking place there. There are vox pops with shoppers and kids on Grafton Street, some of whom have just finished school exams, £5 gift vouchers and ice creams are given away as prizes. The OB features various presenters including Mickey Joe, Scott Williams, Mike Hogan, Dave Kelly, Greg Gaughren, Martin Block and Anne Cassin. The usual agency ads are heard and there is a competition for tickets for the iconic U2 concert in Croke Park on June 28^th. News at 3 minutes to the hour is read by Maura O’Neill.

The tape was made from 102.1 FM on Saturday 20^th June 1987. Part 1 above runs from 1342-1430 and Part 2 below from 1430-1518.

Part 2 from 1430

At this time Q102 also broadcast on 819 kHz AM and 103.5 FM. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

16th June 202325th May 2024

Summer sounds on Munster Broadcasting Corporation

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The Munster Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) was one of the smaller Limerick pirates, broadcasting in 1986. Despite the gradiose name, the station was situated in a tiny loft room on Catherine Street in the city centre. It claimed coverage of counties Limerick, Clare and Tipperary on various FM frequencies, but most of the advertisements were from Limerick City itself. This recording from July 1986 features the lunchtime show with current pop hits presented by Will Rogers, who had one of the stranger mid-Atlantic accents of the pirate era. He also features on many of the adverts. MBC was relaunched as Stereo Radio Munster in 1987.

The tape may have been recorded from one of the Limerick City frequencies, 95.9 or 98.6 FM. There is no date but Part 1 above runs from 1304-1349 and Part 2 below from 1351-1437.

Part 2 from 1351.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

14th June 20233rd June 2023

Border series: Radio Star Country breakfast show heard in Norway

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This recording of Radio Star Country from western Norway was made almost a year after the Monaghan station defied the new broadcasting laws and stayed on air, one of a handful of Irish pirates to do so. Isobel Byrne (RIP), the wife of station founder and owner Gerry Byrne presents the breakfast programme. There are very long commercial breaks, featuring mostly Northern businesses and releases and concerts by country music stars. The voice of former offshore pirate legend Don Allen (RIP) is heard on adverts and promos remind listeners that Radio Star Country is Ireland’s only country music station.

Audio quality ranges from poor to dire with deep fading and is for serious DXers. There is also wobble on the tape in places due to the passage of time. The recording was made from 981 kHz from 0833-0915 on 5^th November 1989 in Solsvik in western Norway, using a Drake SPR-4 receiver with a 200-metre Beverage antenna aimed towards the southwest. It is kindly donated by Svenn Martinsen.

11th June 202312th June 2023

Ballincollig Community Radio from 1988

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Ballincollig Community Radio broadcast to the large Cork suburb of Ballincollig for the latter part of 1988 at the end of the pirate era. The station operated on FM only and in this recording from November 1988, station manager Margaret Mahon is heard with a mixture of country, ballads and classical music. There are community announcements, a competition for tickets to attend a local céilí and an interview with showband singer Laurie Hartz after a concert in Bandon.

The recording was made from 103.6 FM, announced as 104 on air, on 4^th November 1988. An Anoraks Ireland log from the same date recorded the address as 2, The Arcade, The Square, Ballincollig. Part 1 above runs from 1244-1330 and Part 2 below from 1331-1417.

Part 2 from 1331

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.