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Munster Broadcasting Corporation from Limerick

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Munster Broadcasting Corporation from Limerick
An advertisment for MBC from Phoenix Magazine in 1986, courtesy of Eddie Bohan

Limerick really punched above its weight in the golden age of pirate radio prior to 1989. There is some good material online about the Limerick stations including a blog about Big L, Liam Byrne’s radio site, the DX Archive Limerick pages and our own entries featuring Limerick. This recording from July 1986 provides a snapshot of one of the city’s lesser-known pirates at the time, the Munster Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) which despite the grandiose name operated from a tiny attic studio on Catherine Street in the city centre.

Munster Broadcasting Corporation from Limerick
17 Catherine Street, Limerick today. MBC broadcast from the attic (photo John Walsh).

MBC was linked to other Limerick stations Radio Vera and Radio Munster. A corporation it wasn’t, and it certainly didn’t broadcast to the whole of Munster, although there were some ads from Tipperary and they claimed to have three FM frequencies covering Limerick, Clare and Tipperary. There was nothing remarkable about the music on MBC – it was the usual diet of the Top 40 – but it was a presenter calling himself Will Rogers who made an impact during our short visit to Limerick in 1986. He did a lunchtime show and also voiced most of the ads and jingles in one of the stranger mid-Atlantic accents of pirate radio in the 1980s.

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Pirates co-operate in charity marathon

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Pirates co-operate in charity marathon
Image courtesy of DX Archive

In 1986, three large pirate stations – Sunshine Radio in Dublin, ERI in Cork and ABC in Waterford – co-operated to jointly organise a 250-mile maxi-marathon between the three cities.

Here are two promos – the first from ERI and the second from ABC – voiced by Mark Byrne of Sunshine Radio. They are fascinating on so many levels: co-operation between pirate stations, a campaign backed by big commercial sponsors and funds raised going to a major charity, the Central Remedial Clinic.

This is a good example of how the archive can give us a more global view of what was happening in the 1980s. Listeners to each station did not know that all three stations were involved but the archive can tell us that. Arguably the level of co-operation surpasses what exists today between stations in the same large radio groups.

It also reminds us that despite often fierce local competition, stations from different parts of the country were willing to co-operate for charitable causes. No doubt they also had an eye to the impeding legalisation and wanted to position themselves as socially responsible.

These clips are based on recordings from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection and the Skywave Tapes Collection.

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Tony Murrell on ABC Radio from Waterford

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Tony Murrell on ABC Radio from Waterford
Tony Murrell at ABC in 1986 (courtesy Andy Carter).

ABC Radio broadcast from 1982 to 1988 from Waterford and was one of the southeast’s most popular pirates. From humble beginnings in a caravan in the seaside town of Tramore, it later moved into Waterford City and became one of the most successful local stations outside Dublin. ABC began broadcasting on 729 kHz and later moved to 1026 kHz, using a 1 kW transmitter. This recording was made from 1715-1749 on 26th March 1986 and recorded from AM. The presenter is Tony Murrell and the segment includes news, ad breaks and weather.

Tony Murrell on ABC Radio from Waterford
Image courtesy of DX Archive

This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.  

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Full recording: ABC Radio (Waterford)

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Full recording: ABC Radio (Waterford)
ABC logo courtesy of DX Archive.

This recording of ABC Radio in Waterford was made from 0702-0735 on 26th March 1986. The frequency was 1026 kHz AM and overnight presenter Neil Butler hands over to Clive Derek for the breakfast show.

This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.  

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Full recording: ERI (Cork)

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Full recording: ERI (Cork)
Emer Lucey (aka Lucy Potter-Cogan) in the ERI newsroom c. 1983 (photo courtesy of Ian Biggar).

This full-length recording of ERI in Cork is from 96.9 MHz FM and begins at 2130 on 24th March 1986. The presenter is Ian Andrews and the segment includes news at the top of the hour with Emer Lucey (aka Lucy Potter-Cogan).

Full recording: ERI (Cork)
ERI car sticker courtesy of DX Archive.

This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International was a shortwave station broadcasting from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.