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This recording is of what was billed as the final broadcast by Radio Dublin following a raid in February 1977 that led to most of the station’s equipment being confiscated. In a publicity stunt that would be repeated by future pirate stations, Radio Dublin returned to the air with a fanfare in order to sign off for the last time. Paul Downey is at the helm and says that they are using borrowed equipment to bid farewell to listeners because ‘the powers that be’ want them silenced. He also urges people to write to the Department of Posts and Telegraphs to demand that Radio Dublin be licensed.
February 1977 was by no means the end of Radio Dublin, which had its equipment returned in June 1977 after a court case found a flaw in the 1926 act. The station in fact extended its hours over the summer and in September held a marathon 36-hour broadcast that broke the mould for pirate radio in Dublin, leading to a shift from hobby operators to full-time broadcasters. Dr Don would leave Radio Dublin in June 1977 to set up his own station ARD.
This recording was made by Kieran Murray from 1187 kHz AM, announcing 253 metres, on 27th February 1977 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. Audio quality is mixed given the rudimentary technical set-up and passage of time since the cassette was recorded.