Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

15th April 202224th March 2024

Pete O’Neill on Good Friday on South Coast Radio

Pete O’Neill was one of the founders of Cork’s South Coast Radio, which launched in March 1982. Pete, who had previously broadcast on smaller Cork pirates such as the Cork Broadcasting Company (CBC), presented the weekday early afternoon show from 1300-1600 on South Coast.

This is a recording of Pete’s entire show from 1303-1600 on Good Friday, 9^th April 1982. Section 1 is above and the remaining three sections below. At the start, Pete thanks the previous DJ, the late Hugh Browne, who would later be heard on other pirates such as KLAS in Dublin. There are regular promos for the South Coast ‘Jobline’, voiced by the late Tony Allan. The music is mixed, ranging from easy listening and country to chart hits. News on the hour is read by Mark Lawrence but is mostly edited out. Interestingly, South Coast broadcasts a minute’s silence at 1500, reflecting the influence of Catholicism on Ireland at the time and existing practice on RTÉ.

Part 2 from 1348 (news cut)

Part 3 from 1436 (news cut)

Part 4 from 1521

The recording was made from 104 FM in stereo and quality is good, although a hum can be heard when there is no music. Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for donating the recording and photograph.

13th April 20229th April 2022

Oldies on Galway’s Coast 103

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Coast 103 was a successful station broadcasting from Galway from mid-1987 until the end of 1988. It later merged with Limerick pirate Hits 954, rebranded as Coast Hots Hits and covered the west and mid-west region from Galway to the outskirts of Cork. One of the two big Galway stations at the end of the pirate era, Coast played mostly chart music but also had some specialist programming outside peak times.

One such programme was the ‘Hitback’ oldies show presented by the late Carl Turner (aka John Steele) on Sunday mornings. This recording was made from 103 FM in stereo on 3^rd April 1988 from 0900-0945 and features an eclectic mix including rhythm and blues, swing, rock and roll, country, soul and folk rock. John Steele had an impression collection of vinyl and also ran his own hobby pirate Swinging Radio Impulse late at night from his home in Galway city centre.

This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

11th April 202212th April 2022

Twiggs FM from Galway

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Twiggs FM was a short-lived pirate station from Galway broadcasting for about six months at the end of 1987 and beginning of 1988. Called after a nightclub of the same name in Salthill, it was set up by local man Shane Martin and Alan Russell from Dublin who had established another Galway station, Atlantic Sound, in 1984. Alan was also a founder of Dublin station Capitol Radio (1975 and 1978-1981). When Twiggs FM was wound down, DJs either moved to other Galway stations such as County Sound and Coast 103, returned to Dublin or emigrated.

This recording from 11^th November 1987 is of a morning show presented by Mike Richardson, apparently in the middle of a storm (Twiggs FM was located on the promenade facing the Atlantic Ocean). A founder of Big L Radio in Limerick, Mike provided the transmitter and studio equipment for Twiggs FM and did shows when he was in Galway. The recording was made from 98.2 FM in stereo from 0912-0937 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. Thanks to Alan Russell and Shane Martin for background information.

10th April 202210th April 2023

Dublin’s Favourite 50 on Q102

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Q102 logo from 1987 (Alan MacSimoin collection).

Q102 was one of the largest and most successful 1980s ‘super-pirates’ in Dublin. Priding itself as Irish-owned in contrast with other big stations Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio, it launched on January 23^rd 1985 and quickly established a foothold in the Dublin market. In March 1988, Q102 took over the transmitters and equipment of Energy 103 after its sudden closure, given it a range of AM and FM frequencies in the capital. It was relaunched as ‘Super Q 102’ in summer 1988 and closed down on December 30^th in line with new broadcasting legislation.

Dublin's Favourite 50 on Q102 — Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

This recording was made on Easter Monday, 8^th April 1985 and features Dublin’s Favourite 50 with Scott Williams, still a familiar name on the Dublin radio scene. News on the hour is read by Gary Hamill. Part 1 above runs from 1238-1326 and Part 2 below from 1326-1414.

Part 2 from 1326

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

9th April 202212th April 2022

Nightline with Nick Richards on South Coast Radio

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Nick Richards was born in London and worked in land-based UK pirates and the offshore Radio Caroline, only leaving the boat just before it sank on 20^th March 1980. After coming to Ireland, he worked at Southside Radio in Dublin before moving to Cork, doing his first show on South Coast on 16^th April 1982. Nick was later heard on the short-lived but highly successful KISS FM (1988), a ‘border blaster’ pirate based in Monaghan Town. These days he is a presenter on Cork’s C103.

This is a recording of Nick presenting his ‘Nightline’ show on South Coast from just after midnight on Wednesday 9^th June 1982. There’s no chance of falling asleep with plenty of loud rock in the first hour. Part 1 above runs from 0008-0053 and Part 2 below from 0053-0136.

Part 2 from 0053

With so much evening and overnight radio automated these days, it’s refreshing to hear a live DJ reading out requests from listeners. Some of the listeners on that night back in 1982 had impeccable pirate radio credentials: Barry and Ruth Johnson of Anoraks UK in Blackpool, Gary Hogg in Leeds, Stuart Clarke of ABC Radio in Tramore and Prince Terry of shortwave station Westside Radio in Dublin.

This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated by Paul Davidson. You can find more material from the collection on Radiowaves and the Irish Pirate Radio Archive.

Listen here to an interview with Nick about his time at KISS FM in Monaghan.