1982 Archives - Page 6 of 19 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

1st June 20221st June 2022

Mid-morning with Pete O’Neill on South Coast Radio

Pete O’Neill was a popular DJ on various Cork pirates in the late 1970s and 1980s, including one of the city’s big stations, South Coast Radio. This is a recording of his mid-morning show beginning at 1000 on Tuesday 4^th May 1982. Pete thanks Alan Reid (aka the late Henry Condon/Henry Owens) for the breakfast show and presents his usual mix of music, chat and information. There are promos for Wheelchair Awareness Week and local concerts, daily horoscopes and birthdays, an adult education diary, what’s on file and lost and stolen section. A studio guest from the Tony Quinn Yoga Club talks about relaxation. The listener’s Top 5 just after 12 noon features the choice of loyal South Coast fan Lillian McCarthy (O’Donoghue). News on the hour is read by Mark Lawrence but is cut.

Part 1 above runs from 1000-1135 and part 2 below from 1150-1250.

Part 2 from 1150

Audio quality is mixed as the recording switches between 104 FM and 1557 kHz AM. Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for the donation and photo.

8th May 20228th May 2022

Peter Madison and Alan Reid on South Coast Radio

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This is a recording of the very early days of South Coast Radio, the Cork super-pirate that broadcast from 1982-1984. It begins with the late Peter Madison with the final minutes of his Saturday oldies breakfast show on 6^th March 1982 from 1050 to 1100. Peter is followed by the late Alan Reid (Hendy Condon, known later on other stations as Henry Owens) from 1100-1135. South Coast was only on air for three days at this stage, having launched officially on 3^rd March 1982. This tape was made from 102.15 FM stereo, announcing 104. South Coast also broadcast on 1557 kHz AM, announcing 194 metres.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated by Paul Davidson. Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for the photo.

29th April 202226th April 2022

Tony Walsh on South Coast Radio

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Tony Walsh presented the lunchtime show on the Cork Broadcasting Company (CBC) in the late 1970s and then left radio for a few years, returning to the scene when South Coast Radio went on air in the spring of 1982. This recording of his first show on South Coast on Saturday 24^th April begins at about 2340 and is partially edited. The late night musical choice is laidback and includes some country. Tony spent only a few months at South Coast, leaving the station in June 1982.

He was known as Tony Allen on air, but is not to be confused with Tony Allan (RIP), the British ex-offshore DJ whose unique voice was heard on dozens of Irish pirates from the late 1970s on. That Tony Allan also did voiceovers for South Coast Radio and joined the station in August 1982. Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for the recording and photo.

25th April 202224th April 2022

Nick Richards on South Coast Radio

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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.

Thanks to Lillian for the recording and photo.

15th April 202224th March 2024

Pete O’Neill on Good Friday on South Coast Radio

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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.