1983 Archives - Page 14 of 20 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

1st August 20202nd May 2024

Feature: Radio Carousel history

This is a feature programme about the first five-and-a-half years of the Radio Carousel network, broadcast in December 1983. It was compiled by Kieran Murray who was the first voice to be heard on the station on 20^th May 1978. There are also interviews with station founder and owner Hugh Hardy, information about listenership surveys and extracts from shows featuring presenters such as Dave Scott (Joe Reilly), Mike Ahern (Richard McCullen) and Tina Anderson. Kieran describes the satellite stations in Navan, Drogheda and on the border and there are also extracts from news programmes and outside broadcasts. Hugh Hardy’s interview with BBC Radio Ulster following the 1983 raids on Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio is included. The programme also includes a flavour of Radio Carousel Dundalk’s 5th birthday on 20^th May 1983 and of Radio Carousel Navan’s 2nd birthday on 22^nd October 1983.

Kieran Murray announces the programme as a two-hour special but this recording contains only one hour so is presumably an edited version. A full version of the station’s theme tune ‘Don’t stop the carousel’ by Roy Taylor and the Nevada is heard at the end. We thank Eddie Caffrey for donating the recording.

Full photo information

Back row: Richard Crowley, Kieran Murray, Shay Breslin, Ray Stone, Hugh Hardy, Dave Scott, Mike Ahern, Frank Mitchell.

Front row: Shane Mullen, Hugh Sands, Penny Palmer, Tony Farrelly.

29th July 20207th August 2021

Full recording: Radio Carousel (Dundalk)

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This recording of Radio Carousel features Frank Mitchell on air from 1645-1728 on 20^th May 1983, the station’s 5^th birthday. The date is significant because it was the time of the raids on Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio, which caused many other pirates to close temporarily as a precaution. The recording was made from FM and there is interference at times. The channel is also re-tuned on a few occasions during the recording.

A noticeable aspect is the large number of requests from listeners throughout Louth and beyond. There are also competitions to win tickets for nights out in local hotels as well as adverts and notices. Shane Mullen reads sports news at 5.30 and the evening news programme at 6pm is mentioned. It all sounds like a respectable local station offering a mixture of music and information and with no shortage of listeners and advertisers. Frank Mitchell currently works as a weather presenter on UTV and presents on radio station U105. This recording was made by Gary Camblin and given to us by Ian Biggar.

28th June 20206th August 2021

Interview: Tom Breen (WCCR, Radio Renmore)

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We’re delighted to bring you an interview with Tom Breen about his memories of the early years of the Galway pirates from 1980-1984. Following the closure of IRG in 1979, Galway relied on small, low-powered pirates such as Claddagh Community Radio (in the Claddagh just west of the city centre) and Tom’s own Radio Ballybane located in the eastern suburb of the same name. He also recalls another short-lived station calling itself Radio Eyre (named after Galway’s Eyre Square), involving Liam Stenson and others formerly involved with Independent Radio Galway. The Connacht Sentinel reported that Radio Eyre came on the air at the beginning of June 1982.

Tom remembers his involvement with West Coast Community Radio (WCCR) which broadcast from March 1982 until July 1983, first from near Cloonacauneen Castle north of Galway and then from a frozen chicken factory in the eastern suburb of Roscam. WCCR was the largest station in Galway since the closure of IRG and became a full-time operation. It received its AM transmitter from a station called WKRC in Newbridge, Co. Kildare and while quite low-powered (80-100 watts), managed to boost its signal to cover the city and beyond. Tom was also one of those who set up Radio Renmore/Renmore Local Radio, which broadcast on very low power on 101 FM from the Renmore area to the east. Thanks to Ian Biggar for additional information.

27th June 20206th August 2021

Aircheck: Radio Renmore

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Radio Renmore was one of a number of short-lived low-powered Galway pirates in the early 1980s. It broadcast from August 1983 until early 1985 from a converted garage in the eastern suburb of Renmore with a power of 5 watts on 101 FM. Set up by three teenagers, Gary Hardiman, Tom Breen and Brendan Mee, Radio Renmore broadcast from Brendan’s garage during the school holidays. It was known as Radio Snowflake when it returned at Christmas 1983. The station moved to the house of Brian Walsh in the summer of 1984 and changed its name to Renmore Local Radio. The better site next to Lough Atalia boosted its signal into the city. These undated recordings are from 1983 and 1984 and include station promos, news and adverts for local businesses.

We thanks Brendan Mee for background information and for the recording and Gary Hardiman for photos. Tomorrow we bring you an interview with Tom Breen about his memories of this and other small Galway hobby stations.

18th June 202028th October 2023

October bank holiday weekend on South Coast Radio

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This is a recording from the original South Coast Radio (1982-1984), one of the most popular Cork pirates of the early 1980s, broadcasting on 1557 kHz (announced as 194 metres) and 104 FM. It runs from 1450-1600 on 30^th October 1983, a Sunday, and features an outside broadcast from Dan Lowrey’s pub as part of the Cork Jazz Festival. In studio is former Radio Caroline DJ Johnny Lewis and another offshore veteran Keith York (RIP) is on the link side from the pub along with Peter O’Neill. News is read by Andrew Hewkin but is delayed due to the OB. Audio quality from the pub is poor in places but the fact that it took place at all was evidence of South Coast’s desire to push the boundaries of radio at the time. Lewis and York joke about the pub closing for ‘holy hour’ on Sunday afternoon and chat to the musicians. Barrie and Ruth Johnson of Anoraks UK happen to be visiting the station and get a brief mention on air.

There’s also an announcement advising listeners that any interference to transmission is not South Coast’s fault but due to jamming from the RTÉ transmitter site at Spur Hill. 1983 was a turbulent year for the pirates between raids by the authorities and jamming by RTÉ. South Coast shut down voluntarily following the raids on Sunshine Radio and Radio Nova on the 18th and 19th of May 1983 but returned soon afterwards on the 23rd of May.

This recording is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.