Nick Richards in studio (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).
Nick Richards, who had a background in British and offshore pirates, was heard on a number of Irish stations in the 1980s. This recording of Nick is from South Coast Radio in Cork not long after the station launched in spring 1982. At this time, Nick presented the Nightline programme in the early hours and in this recording, which starts around 2340, the musical choice is mellow. There’s a request for South Coast’s number one fan, Lillian McCarthy (O’Donoghue) who meticulously recorded programmes and took photos of the DJs and studios. Nick closes the station at 0100 and says that the next DJ will be Alan Reid (Henry Condon) with the breakfast show from 0700. There’s no date for this recording but we estimate it to be from late April 1982. It is partially edited and was made from 104 FM, although audio quality is fair as it seems the station wasn’t properly tuned in.
Radio Rainbow International’s shortwave transmitter (courtesy Kieran Murray).
‘Media Network’ was a weekly radio programme broadcast on the international service Radio Netherlands Worldwide from the early 1980s until 2000. Produced and presented by Jonathan Marks, it covered various aspects of communication and broadcasting. Radio Netherlands Worldwide stopped broadcasting in 2012 after its budgets were slashed.
This 1988 edition of ‘Media Network’ features the Irish pirate radio scene as it was about to be regulated by new broadcasting legislation. It includes interviews with Eddie Caffrey about his Louth stations Boyneside Radio and Radio Rainbow International, and with the late Peter Madison who was heard on various pirates in the 1980s. Radio Nova’s satellite broadcasts from the UK are also covered on the show.
This programme was recorded on 6th November 1988 from Radio Rainbow International on 6240 kHz shortwave. Reception is fair to good, with some fading. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
The late John Steele (Carl Turner) in Swinging Radio Impulse (courtesy Anoraks Ireland Collection).
Swinging Radio Impulse was a hobby station specialising in oldies. On air in 1987 and 1988, it broadcast at night and at weekends on 95.89 FM from Galway city centre with just 5 watts of power. This recording from 2044-2130 on 21st November 1987 features the late John Steele (on-air name Carl Turner) presenting a live show. There’s a real hobby feel to the programme with plenty of reverb in idents and even live voiceovers. John also mocks the midlands station Radio West which was then available on a local Galway relay and there’s a request for the late Keith York of large Galway station Coast 103.
This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
The set-up at Swinging Radio Impulse c. 1987 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
Swinging Radio Impulse (SRI) was a small hobby pirate station broadcasting from Galway city centre in 1987 and 1988. It was run by the late John Steele (on-air name Carl Turner), who had a large vinyl collection and was something of an authority on various musical styles from the 1950s on. SRI dubbed itself ‘Ireland’s only oldies station’ and was on air mostly in the evenings and at weekends. Precise dates are unknown, but in July 1987 Anoraks Ireland listed a ‘Radio Impulse’ on 95.3 or 96.1 FM in Galway and Swinging Radio Impulse was logged in an Anoraks UK Weekly Report in November that year. It’s not clear when the station closed down. An Anoraks Ireland survey from November 1987 recorded that SRI broadcast on 95.89 FM in mono, announcing 96, with a power of just 5 watts from a house in Bohermore, Galway city centre. Broadcasting hours were 2100-0100 during the week, 0900-1500 on Saturday and 1100-1700 on Sunday.
Handwritten cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
This recording was made on 10th November 1987 from 0026-0100 and features Carl Turner with what appears to be a pre-recorded programme for the first half-hour. Audio quality is poor with a lot of hiss but improves when programming goes live. There is an American advert for Old Spice shampoo from the 1960s and music is interspersed with home-made and generic station idents. A promo for Anoraks Ireland is voiced by a young John Walsh, co-founder of Pirate.ie.
Carl Turner also presented an oldies programme on Sunday mornings on commercial Galway station Coast 103. He was also an active member of Galway Radio Club. Thanks to Ciaran McCarthy and Shane Martin for background information. This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
Micheál Ó hÉalaithe & Piaras Ó Gaora in the studio (source: ‘Raidió na Gaeltachta’ by R. Ó Glaisne).
At Easter 1970, Irish language pirate Saor-Raidio Chonamara (Free Radio Connemara) came on the air for the first time in Ros Muc in the Connemara Gaeltacht. Inspired by Radio Free Derry set up at the outbreak of the Troubles in 1969, a local radio service for the Gaeltacht was one of the demands of the Gaeltacht Civil Rights Campaign. One of those involved, Seosamh Ó Cuaig, wrote in the Connacht Tribune on 17th October 1969 that an all-Irish pirate station would be set up and that a transmitter could be bought for £50. With the assistance of an engineering student from UCC, Micheál Ó hÉalaithe, Saor-Raidió Chonamara began broadcasting on 1484 kHz (202 metres) on Saturday 28th March from a caravan in Ros Muc and stayed on the air until Sunday 5th April. It returned again in November that year for the Oireachtas na nGael festival, also held in Ros Muc.
Faoi Cháisc 1970, chuaigh an stáisiún bradach Saor-Raidió Chonamara ar an aer den chéad uair ó Ros Muc i nGaeltacht Chonamara. Spreagtha ag Radio Free Derry a bunaíodh ag tús na dTrioblóidí, bhí stáisiún raidió Gaeilge ar cheann d’éilimh Ghluaiseacht Chearta Sibhialta na Gaeltachta. Ina alt ar an Connacht Tribune ar 17 Deireadh Fómhair 1979, scríobh duine de na daoine a bhí páirteach, Seosamh Ó Cuaig, go mbunófaí a leithéid de stáisiún agus nach gcosnódh tarchuradóir ach £50. Le cúnamh ó mhac léinn innealtóireachta ó Chorcaigh, Micheál Ó hÉalaithe, thosaigh Saor-Raidió Chonamara ag craoladh ar 1484 kHz (202 méadar) Dé Sathairn 28 Márta ó charabhán i Ros Muc agus d’fhan ar an aer go dtí an Domhnach 5 Aibreán. Chraol sé den dara uair faoi Shamhain na bliana sin mar chuid d’Oireachtas na nGael i Ros Muc.
Within two years of Saor-Raidió Chonamara, Raidió na Gaeltachta was established under the auspices of RTÉ. It began broadcasting on Easter Sunday, 2nd April 1972. Many campaigners doubted RTÉ’s commitment to Irish and wanted Raidió na Gaeltachta to be under community control but the new station quickly gained listeners in the Irish-speaking areas. Initially only available on a part-time basis and on AM in each of the three main Gaeltacht areas (west Kerry, south Connemara and northwest Donegal), Raidió na Gaeltachta was extended nationwide on FM in 1973. It is now a full-time, national Irish language station.
Laistigh de dhá bhliain ó chraoltaí an tSaor-Raidió, bunaíodh Raidió na Gaeltachta faoi choimirce RTÉ ar Dhomhnach Cásca, 2 Aibreán 1972. Bhí amhras ar lucht an fheachtais faoi thacaíocht RTÉ don Ghaeilge agus theastaigh uathu an stáisiún a bheith faoi smacht an phobail ach níorbh fhada go raibh éisteacht mhaith ag an stáisiún nua sa Ghaeltacht. Ar fáil go páirtaimseartha agus ar an meántonn amháin i dtosach báire i gConamara, Corca Dhuibhne agus Tír Chonaill, leathnaíodh Raidió na Gaeltachta go náisiúnta ar an ardmhinicíocht in 1973. Is é an stáisiún lánaimseartha, náisiúnta Gaeilge anois é.
In 2020, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta planned a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Saor-Raidió Chonamara but this was cancelled due to the outbreak of the pandemic. The station broadcast special programmes from Ros Muc on Easter Monday, 28th April 2022, including interviews with those involved in Saor-Raidió Chonamara.
This short clip is of Piaras Ó Gaora from Easter Sunday, 29th March 1970 and translates as: ‘You are listening to Saor-Raidió Chonamara broadcasting on 202 metres medium wave and at two minutes past six on this glorious Easter evening, it’s time for the news’. The clip is from the television documentary Splanc Dheireadh na Gaeltachta (2005, subtitled). Other historical material about the history of Saor-Raidió Chonamara is available on the Irish language website Cartlann Ghaeltacht Chonamara (Connemara Gaeltacht Archive), hosted by NUI Galway.
