AM Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

13th November 202418th November 2024

Southside Radio FRC programme from 1981

Southside Radio was one of the early Irish medium wave pirates of the late 1970s and early 1980s, based in various places in north Wicklow and south Dublin. It began broadcasting in December 1978 from a caravan to Bray for a few hours daily before extending its coverage. Southside Radio was raided in 1979 but a rate card and schedule from December that year showed an ambitious full-time schedule including accomplished broadcasters such as Bryan Dobson, Cathy Cregan, Sybil Fennell, Hugh Browne (RIP) and Paul Nicholas (Andy Ruane). Southside claimed to be the ‘major radio station on the southside of Dublin’ and said it had a community emphasis in its programmes. In spring 1980, a lightning strike and a break-in damaged equipment and disrupted broadcasts. In June that year, Southside moved to the Victor Hotel in Dún Laoghaire and became a round-the-clock operation. A report by DX Archive from April 1982 said that Southside was on its last legs and that the station closed the following month for good.

Of interest in the Southside schedule was the weekly Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show by Mark Boland on Sunday mornings, which was also relayed on shortwave stations Westside Radio International and Radio Condor and therefore heard well beyond Ireland. This recording is of an edition of the FRC that includes free radio and station news, a report from Liverpool, a tape of Australian station OZFM and Radio Caroline jingles from the 1960s. There are plenty of adverts for local businesses on the southside, including the voice of Tony Allan (RIP), who also features on station idents.

The tape was made on Easter Sunday 19^th April 1981 between 1133-1305 from 999 kHz, announcing 300 metres. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

6th November 20243rd November 2024

More highlights of Dublin radio in 1979

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In this post, we bring you more highlights of Dublin radio in 1979 as recorded by English anorak Leon Tipler (RIP) during one of his regular visits to Ireland. This recording begins with Tony Allan (RIP) on his afternoon show on ARD, including news and requests. Later in the tape, Tony conducts an interview with the Friends of Medieval Dublin about the controversial development of the Wood Quay site in Dublin for new civic offices. Simon Young (RIP) is interviewed by another DJ on Big D, and talks about the various gigs that he did around town. There are also snippets of Radio Dublin and Capitol Radio. Parts of these recordings were used in Leon’s acclaimed documentary series The Irish Pirates.

The tape was made on 29^th August 1979 from various AM frequencies. We thank Steve England for his donation of the Leon Tipler Collection to Pirate.ie.

4th November 20243rd November 2024

Tony Allan on ARD in 1979

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Continuing our series on recordings made by English radio anorak Leon Tipler in Dublin, today’s tape features the sounds of an August afternoon in 1979 after he returned to Ireland for another visit. Tipler put his microphone up against a radio in his hotel room and recorded snippets of the city’s leading pirate, Alternative Radio Dublin (ARD) and a commentary on his impressions of the city at the time. This extracts were later used in his acclaimed documentary series The Irish Pirates that can be heard on this website.

The recording features the voice of the legendary Tony Allan (RIP) presenting the afternoon show on ARD and reading news headlines on 28^th August 1979. Tipler was staying in the Ormond Hotel overlooking the River Liffey and gulls and passing traffic can be heard in the background. Audio quality is variable due to degradation of the cassette. We thank Steve England for donating Leon Tipler’s collection to us.

21st October 202428th October 2024

More Dublin radio from summer 1979

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Continuing our series featuring the tapes of English radio enthusiast Leon Tipler (RIP), today’s recording is of a bandscan made in July 1979, during one of Leon’s frequent visits to Dublin. Recorded mostly from AM, it begins with an excerpt from the Citizen’s Band legal advice programme on Alternative Radio Dublin (ARD) presented by Sylvia McClelland, an example of the diversity of programming on the station at the time. ARD news airs on the half-hour. This is followed by Gerry Campbell on Big D, who reads out requests from listeners and refers to Dublin’s iconic Dandelion Market. There are adverts for small businesses, some read live by the DJ, and a mention of a Big D social night the following Friday.

Towards the end of the recording, the dial is tuned around the AM band and we hear snippets of the new RTÉ Radio 2, Radio Dublin and UK stations. At the very end some FM stations are heard. The tape was recorded on 18^th July 1979 from around midday. Audio quality is fair at best due to cassette degradation over time. Thanks to Steve England for the donation of Leon’s invaluable recordings and to Ian Biggar for additional information.

14th October 20247th October 2024

Second last 78s Show on Radio Galaxy

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Tony Boylan (RIP) was one of the leading pioneers of pirate radio in Ireland, first broadcasting in 1945. His best-known and longest-running station was Radio Galaxy, which first aired in the mid-1950s and subsequently broadcast from the late 1960s until 1986, mostly on Sundays. By focusing on underserved genres of music, Radio Galaxy was a unique sound among the Irish pirates. Following the closure of the station, Tony retired to the Isle of Man where he died in 2010.

This tape of Radio Galaxy is the penultimate Sunday broadcast from autumn 1986 and features the popular weekly 78s Show with its mixture of classical, instrumental, country and religious music. There are several requests from Tony’s loyal listeners around Dublin, many of whom were no doubt with him for decades.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 1512 kHz AM, announcing 196 metres, from 1204-1332 on Sunday 14^th September 1986. Audio quality is fair and resembles slightly weak daytime groundwave reception, so the tape may have been recorded outside the core reception area around Santry in the northeast of the city.