1983 Archives - Page 2 of 23 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

7th March 202517th February 2025

Ken Regis on North Cork Local Radio

North Cork Local Radio (NCLR) went on air in mid-May 1981 from the north Cork town of Mallow at weekends only. The station directors were Pat O’Brien, Maurice Brosnan and Noel O’Connor, two of whom had presented previously on the RTÉ temporary station Mallow Community Radio, which broadcast in 1980. Initially NCLR had a modest coverage of a 5-mile radius of Mallow but eventually expanded to all of north Cork. The station played pop music but also had a community ethos in programmes and formed a co-operative to rally support for a licence.

NCLR changed its name slightly to North Cork Community Radio (NCCR) in July 1986 and continued to broadcast until the end of 1988. In a letter to Ian Biggar in 1986, general manager Barry O’Mahony wrote that NCCR broadcast from 1100-1800 on weekends and 1000-1800 at weekends with a variety of shows including outside broadcasts, chat, hospital requests, farming programmes, sport etc. He added that the AM transmitter ‘isn’t great but is adequate for present time’, probably a reference to the fact that two other pirates in close proximity were using the same frequency of 1386 kHz, WBEN in Cork and Kilkenny Community Radio. The AM band was crowded and there were few free channels and as a result, co-channel interference between all three stations was severe in parts of Cork.

This recording of NCLR begins with the end of the Saturday Scene show with Pat O’Connor and is followed by Ken Regis (O’Sullivan), who had broadcast previously on other Cork pirates. News is read by Clare O’Sullivan. The airchecked recording was made by Kieran Murray from 95.3 FM on Saturday 16^th July 1983 between 1410-1510. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

26th February 202525th February 2025

Late night Radio Leinster shortly before station’s closedown

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Radio Leinster was a specialist and middle-of-the-road station offering an alternative to Dublin listeners accustomed to the diet of chart music on many pirates. Launching on 29^th April 1981 on 738 kHz, announcing 406 metres, it liked to claim that it wooed listeners from RTÉ Radio 1 rather than Radio 2. Despite making inroads in the Dublin radio market over its two years on air, Radio Leinster became collateral damage in the raids on large pirate stations, closing down suddenly on May 19^th 1983.

This tape was made a few days before the closedown and features the Late on Leinster show presented by Gerry Wilson. There are plenty of requests, reflecting the desire for live late-night radio, now sadly a thing of the past. Adverts include the Sunday World newspaper, a staple on all commercial pirate stations during the 1980s. The airchecked recording was made on Saturday night/Sunday morning 14^th and 15^th May between 2230 and 0130 from 93 FM. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

24th February 202521st February 2025

American music show on Thurles Local Community Radio

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Thurles Local Community Radio (TLCR) broadcast from 1981-1983 from the Tipperary town, one of several small pirate stations in the county during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It began testing as Community Radio Thurles for a week in November 1981 and promised to start broadcasting on a full-time basis every evening before Christmas. The launch was delayed until the new year and the renamed Thurles Local Community Radio was reported by the Tipperary Star to have begun permanent broadcasting on 22^nd January 1982 with an evening schedule from 1800-2100 and plans for expansion. It was on 100 FM only and according to the newspaper report, the station emphasised the superior quality of the FM band over AM. However logs by DX Archive from the period June 1982 to October 1983 include TLCR on AM only (first 1260 kHz, then 1098 kHz and finally 954 kHz), perhaps a reflection of the dominance of medium wave at the time. There is no reference to TLCR after October 1983 and it seems to have petered out by late that year. Additional research is by Eddie Bohan.

This short airchecked recording of Thurles Local Community Radio was made on Sunday 24^th April 1983 between 1600 and 1700 and features the Paul Ryan American Music Show. It was made by Kieran Murray from 954 kHz, announcing 319 metres and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

21st February 202516th February 2025

Summer Saturday on Clonmel Broadcasting Corporation

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The origins of pirate radio in Co. Tipperary were in the experimental summer station Radio Clonmel in 1978 and bigger stations Radio Carrick and Clonmel Local Radio in 1980. In September 1981, Galway man Gerry Gannon, who was based in Carrick-on-Suir, began planning a radio station for all of south Tipperary . The result of his campaigh was the Clonmel Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which began broadcasting on 14^th November 1981. CBC became one of the leading pirates to espouse a community radio ethos, in contrast with larger commercial operators in cities such as Dublin and Cork. It had deep roots in its local community and continued broadcasting until the end of 1988.

This short airchecked recording was made on a Saturday afternoon in summer 1983 in Cashel outside the core listening area, so quality is fair at best. Up first is DJ Pat with chart music and he is followed by Kevin Ambrose. Adverts are heard for small businsesses in Clonmel and surounding towns. The recording was made from 828 kHz AM by Kieran Murray on Saturday 16^th July 1983 from around 1800 and is part of the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

17th February 202515th February 2025

Daybreak on Cork station ERI

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By 1983, ERI had become Cork’s leading pirate station following the transfer of studios from the village of Ballycotton to the edge of Cork city and the installation of a powerful new AM transmitter giving coverage of Munster. These airchecked recordings of the Daybreak breakfast show were made around St. Patrick’s Day 1983 and give a sense of the station during this expansion phase.

First up is former offshore presenter Andy Archer between 0823-0900 on 18^th March 1983. News is read by Andrew Hewkin, who is on his final day with ERI. This is followed by Steve Marshall between 0845-0930 on 21^st March 1983 with news read by Seán O’Sullivan. Adverts feature businesses around Cork city and county and there is a promo for a syndicated show, Soundtrack of the Sixties.

ERI broadcast on 102 and 105.8 FM at the time as well as 1305 kHz AM. This recording was made from AM by Kieran Murray and is part of the Anoraks Ireland Collection.