Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

3rd April 20234th April 2023

Evening shows on Premier County Radio

Premier County Radio was the new name given to Tipperary station Centre Radio in 1987. Based in Clonmel in the south of the county, Centre Radio had been set up in April 1986 as a youth-oriented offshoot of the long-running Clonmel Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In this recording from 1988, we hear a flavour of two specialist evening shows on Premier County Radio.

First up is Brendan Kenny with oldies and he is followed by John Savage until midnight with a mix of country, folk and rock and roll. Requests from listeners are heard on both shows but there are no adverts. Part 1 above runs from 2116 and Part 2 below from 2202. The date of recording is 1^st November 1988.

Part 2 from 2202.

The cassette label logs a link frequency of 87.3 MHz but this is incorrect as the broadcast FM band begins at 87.5. Premier County Radio was announcing 87.9 and 104.3 FM at this time, and also broadcast on 1251 kHz AM. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

31st March 202331st March 2023

Requests and dedications on Kildare Community Radio

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Irish language poster for Kildare Community Radio c. 1982 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

Kildare Community Radio (KCR) was a long-running station broadcasting from Naas in Co. Kildare from 1979 until 1988. This tape is of an afternoon show featuring a mixture of music including ballads, traditional, country and oldies presented by DJ John. There are plenty of requests and dedications from listeners, including a few who call in on crackly phone lines. It’s a bare bones style of presentation with no station idents or adverts and a few technical problems.

No times are given but the recording is airchecked. It is dated 6^th November 1983 and the frequency of 1404 kHz (214 metres) noted, but this is more likely to have been KCR’s long-running channel of 1413 kHz to which it had moved by December 1982. Logs by DX Archive from before that time record it off-channel on 1400 kHz. KCR never broadcast on FM. A visit by DX Archive in 1981 recorded that the station was located in a large house called St. Martin’s at Naas Harbour and that the building was dilapidated like so many pirate premises. KCR is listed in an Anoraks Ireland log from April 1988 but closed soon afterwards in advance of the December deadline for pirates to leave the airwaves.

This tape was made originally by Kieran Murray and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

29th March 202317th May 2023

Border series: Radio Star Country in the new millennium

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More than a decade after the new broadcasting laws came into effect, pirate radio continued to be heard across Ireland, although not on the scale of the 1980s. The Monaghan pirate Radio Star Country was among those stations that carried on broadcasting into the new millennium, continuing to attract listeners and advertisers on both sides of the border. In this recording from 2001, there are plenty of commercial breaks and requests from Belfast, Down and Derry as well as nearer to home. An advertising promo gives a number in the North and news from IRN in Britain refers to the foot and mouth crisis that was raging at the time. There is evidence of increased religious influence on Radio Star Country with gospel and religious music, notices for religious businesses and a guide to daily gospel programmes including one by station owner Albert Chambers.

This recording was made from 981 kHz in Scotland on 24^th October 2001 from 1105-1205. The DJ is the late Patsy Jordan (McDonald). Thanks to Ian Biggar for the donation.

27th March 20231st August 2024

Final day of Radio Ringsend 1982

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Radio Ringsend was one of several temporary community stations under the umbrella of the Community Broadcasting Co-operative (CBC) in the 1980s. Set up by Dave Reddy and Al O’Rourke, the pop-up stations went on air to coincide with local community festivals in Dublin and surrounding counties. Based in the southeast inner city, Radio Ringsend broadcast for the first time during the Ringsend and District Community Festival in 1982 and continued each year until summer 1988.

This recording from 1982 is of part of the final day of Radio Ringsend’s first run. Up first is Victor Ryan with music, a copious number of requests and community notices. He is followed at 4pm by Al O’Rourke and at 6pm by Mick Nugent who hosts the final show until 8pm. There’s a real community feel with local kids interviewed in studio between the records. Adverts for local businesses such as corner shops, chippers, garages and pubs are aired. The airchecked tape begins before 3pm on Sunday 18^th July 1982 and was recorded from 1512 kHz (199 metres). Radio Ringsend also broadcast on 104 FM. This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

24th March 202323rd March 2023

Tony Allan on KISS FM

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Tony Allan (1949-2004) was one of the most iconic broadcasters of the pirate era, whose distinctive voice was heard on offshore and Irish stations from the late 1960s, including Radio Caroline, Sunshine Radio and Radio Nova. This is a recording of Tony presenting a mid-morning show on Radio Nova offshoot KISS FM. The music is an eclectic mix of chart sounds, rock and even country but is linked effortlessly by the flawless presentation. Commercial breaks feature many agency adverts, reflecting the station’s impact on the Dublin market. News is read by another Radio Nova veteran, the late Bob Gallico.

Part 1 above runs from 1002 and Part 2 below from 1053.

Part 2 from 1053 – news is airchecked.

The recording was made from 102.7 FM on Thursday 10^th October 1982 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.