1985 Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

5th November 202527th October 2025

Nova breakfast show shortly before RTÉ blocks FM signal

The Zoo Crew was a zany breakfast slot in the Radio Nova breakfast show from late 1985 to early 1986, presented by Colm Hayes, Bob Gallico (RIP) and Cathy Byrne. This recording includes chat, features and humour from the Zoo Crew at a pivotal time for Radio Nova. There are promos for pre-Christmas competitions and an opportunity to win a colour television along with sports news, a traffic report and a birthday file that includes a mention of Bob’s 26-year old son, Michael. The usual high-level adverts are heard for large businesses and brands but the veneer of commercial success hid the growing problems for Nova at the time.

The station’s news and easy-listening offshoot service Magic 103 had closed on 22^nd September, reigniting a bitter dispute between Nova boss Chris Cary and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). After resorting to jamming the pirates in 1984, RTÉ later changed its tactics and in May 1985 received permission from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to use 102.7 FM for Raidió na Gaeltachta in the north-east, which was coincidentally the same frequency as Nova. Two days after this recording was made, on Thursday 7^th November 1985, RTÉ switched on its new high-powered transmitter at Clermont Carn in Co. Louth, drowning out Nova’s signal as far south as Dublin. The Anoraks UK Weekly Report of 10^th November reported that by ‘Friday morning, everyone at the station was in a state of despair, and finally, Tony Allan made a promo asking people to help to locate the offender’. Nova requested reception reports to determine where the test tone was worst, and eventually it was traced to Co. Louth. Nova switched off 102.7 at 1214 on Friday and moved up to 103.1.

Nova fan Kevin Branigan comments that this period was the beginning of the end of Radio Nova. ‘The closure of Magic 103 was causing turmoil, with the NUJ strike that had ended the previous October now resumed with a vengeance with pickets back at Nova Park and at the more high-profile 144 Upper Leeson Street premises, where Magic had been based. Nova had been relayed on 103.5 FM since the closure but it was later claimed falsely on air that the transmitter had been vandalised when in fact it had been sold by Cary to Dublin rival Q102. This was done to put the NUJ off the scent and claim that Nova had nothing more to do with Magic 103, but the move was disastrous because it strengthened Q102 and led it to surround Nova on the FM dial. Fast forward a few months and Nova was closed, its DJs were working mostly for Q102 and that station went on to become one of the biggest in Dublin’. This was all unfolding at the same time as our recording – the claim of bogus vandalism was made by Nova on November 6^th, while Q102 were already audible on low power on 103.5, so the new RTÉ transmitter in Co. Louth could not have come at a worst time. Listen below to extracts from Nova news bulletins about the ‘vandalism’.

ABC Network News on 6th November 1985 (courtesy Kevin Branigan).

The airchecked recording of the Radio Nova breakfast show is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102.7 FM between 0652-1005 on Tuesday, November 5^th 1985.

31st January 202526th January 2025

Liam Quigley on Cork’s ERI

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By 1985, ERI was well-established as the leading pirate station in Cork and claimed coverage of the entire Munster region on AM and FM. This recording is of an afternoon show presented by Liam Quigley, who went on to work in various licensed stations after the closedown of the pirates. Adverts include a mixture of brands and local businesses from Cork to Limerick and there is a job search slot and a promo for the forthcoming ERI Nike road race. News headlines are read by John O’Connor at half-past the hour and three minutes to.

The recording was made on Monday 2^nd September 1985 from 97.1 FM between 1413-1543 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

31st December 20241st January 2025

Tony Allan rings in 1985 on Radio Nova

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Veteran DJ Tony Allan (RIP) rang in 1985 on Dublin super-pirate Radio Nova. In this recording, Tony is in top form as he reads out New Year’s greetings from listeners and shares recorded inserts from Nova colleagues Bob Gallico, Colm Hayes and John Clarke. Bernie Jameson presents a news review of 1984 and in time for midnight, there is a link-up with Peter Madison (RIP) at the Nova Park nightclub nearby in Rathfarnham. The broadcast also includes a New Year’s message from Nova boss Chris Cary, who refers to the large number of staff who moved on during 1984.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was recorded from 102.7 FM between 2236-0013 on 31^st December 1984 and 1^st January 1985.

31st December 20248th January 2025

Country station Treble TR welcomes 1986

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Treble TR (sometimes written TTTR) was a country and Irish pirate station broadcasting from Dublin from the spring of 1981 until the end of 1988. The station began on 945 kHz AM, announcing 317 metres, adding FM from 1983. A second AM frequency on 891 kHz was added in 1987. Initially based in Rathfarnham near Radio Nova, TTTR later moved to Harold’s Cross south of the city centre. It closed down on 30^th December 1988 in line with new broadcasting legislation.

This recording was made as TTTR entered 1986. First up is Conn O’Mahoney who shares plenty of New Year’s requests from listeners around Dublin. He signs off at midnight and hands over to Dave Stewart who picks up the pace a bit, although the music is still country in style. Adverts are heard from small and medium-sized businesses around town.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 99 FM between 2343-0030 on 31^st December 1985 and 1^st January 1986.

30th November 20243rd December 2024

St. Ita’s Hospital Radio closes after more than 40 years

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On 30^th November 2024 one of Ireland’s longest-running radio stations, St. Ita’s Hospital Radio in north Co. Dublin, closed down. Based at the former St. Ita’s Hospital complex in the seaside village of Portrane, the radio station began broadcasting as a pirate in December 1983. A report by Anoraks Ireland from March 1984 lists ‘Hospital Radio, c/o The Rehabilitation Hospital, Portrane, Co. Dublin’ and the station features on 97.1 FM in logs from 1985 onwards. There are few known recordings of the station so we are delighted to share this short extract from a show presented by Seán Cahill. The undated tape is in the Pirate.ie collection but we estimate it to be from October 1985.

Hospital Radio recording from October 1985 (estimated)

St. Ita’s Hospital Radio was one of a handful of pirates to continue broadcasting after new broadcasting laws came into effect in 1989. However, unlike others who risked stiff penalties if caught, St. Ita’s was granted a dispensation from the requirement to close down by the then Minister for Communications, Ray Burke, in whose constituency the station was located. St. Ita’s Hospital Radio manager from 1989, Tom Noctor, said that it was in effect the first independent station in Ireland to be licensed, as the dispensation was granted before licences were awarded to larger commercial stations. Apart from a brief break in 1994, St. Ita’s broadcast continuously on low power (89.5 FM) to Portrane and later also online but on 23^rd November 2024, it announced on its Facebook page that it would close down a week later on 30^th November. A new online station replaced the original FM service.

After serving St. Ita’s Hospital for over 40 years, the station will officially go off the air, marking the end of an era for the cherished service that has brought comfort, entertainment and a sense of connection to countless listeners, staff, family and friends at St. Ita’s Hospital Campus, Portrane, Co. Dublin.

“This is a deeply emotional moment for all of us,” said Tom Noctor, Station Manager. “For decades, St. Ita’s has been more than just a radio station; it’s been a lifeline for all connected to St. Ita’s Hospital and the surrounding area of North County Dublin. We are incredibly proud of the legacy we leave behind and grateful to everyone who has supported us on this journey.”

Despite the closure, the station’s team hopes its spirit will live on in the memories of those it touched.

No official reason was given for the closure of St. Ita’s Hospital Radio but there have been no patients in the original hospital buildings since 2013 and today the campus is a designated architectural conservation area and the site of the National Forensic Mental Health Service. It is unfortunate that the Health Services Executive did not seize the opportunity to develop the station as a way of supporting mental health and wellbeing in the community.

Brian Greene of Pirate.ie visited St. Ita’s Hospital Radio in 2019 and interviewed Tom Noctor about the station’s history and its role in the community. This interview was first broadcast on the media show Wireless on Flirt FM in Galway in April 2019.