Boyneside Radio from Kells, Co. Meath

Boyneside Radio from Kells, Co. Meath
Manager Kieran Murray in the Boyneside studio in Kells (photo courtesy of Kieran).

In its ten years on air, Boyneside Radio expanded from a local station for Drogheda in Co. Louth to a large regional service that could be heard across the northeast of Ireland. It also had various relay transmitters and opt-out services focusing on local audiences. One such service was based in the town of Kells, covering Co. Meath and south Co. Cavan.

Today we bring you two recordings of Boyneside Radio Kells from early 1986. The first one above is an airchecked version of Tony Johnson’s show made from about 1340 on Sunday 12th January. There are promos for the new service, which is aimed at Meath and south Cavan, and plenty of local advertisements. Monaghan’s Sport Centre, Kells is given as an address and there is also a local phone number. The second recording below is also airchecked and begins just before 1700 on Monday 13th January. It features Eddie Caffrey signing off on his Afternoon Delight show from Drogheda, followed by news with Áine Ní Ghuidhir and a local programme from Kells with Ian Scott. Both were recorded from 100.3 FM in mono. Boyneside Radio Kells also broadcast on 1323 kHz AM.  

Aircheck from just before 1700.
Boyneside Radio from Kells, Co. Meath
Cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

These recordings were made by Kieran Murray, who managed the Boyneside Kells service. They are part of the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. Listen to Kieran’s memories of moving to Boyneside in this interview. Further material from the Anoraks Ireland collection is available on Radiowaves and the Irish Pirate Radio Archive.

Excerpts from a day on Boyneside Radio in 1983

Excerpts from a day on Boyneside Radio in 1983
Boyneside compliments slip (courtesy Ian Biggar).

This is an airchecked recording of daytime and evening programming on Boyneside Radio from Drogheda on Good Friday, 3rd April 1983. It includes excerpts from the breakfast show with Dara Nelson, Dave C.’s Golden Oldies Show, sports news at 6.30pm, Country Convoy with Seán Neilon and Nightbeat with Neil O’Brien. The voices of Eddie Caffrey, Dave C., Dermot Finglas, Daire Nelson and Áine Ní Ghuidhir are heard on adverts. One spot for the Augustinian religious order stands out from the more familiar ads for local businesses! The selection from different times of the day gives a good flavour of the variety heard on Boyneside at the time.

Excerpts from a day on Boyneside Radio in 1983
Anoraks Ireland cassette label (the correct date is 3rd April).

The recording was made from 98.1 FM in mono and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. It was recorded originally by Kieran Murray. Further material from this collection can be found on Radiowaves and the Irish Pirate Radio Archive.

Morning shows on Boyneside Radio

Morning shows on Boyneside Radio
Daire Nelson during his Radio West days (courtesy DX Archive).

This is a recording of morning programmes on Boyneside Radio from early 1983. Following the merger with the breakaway Community Radio Drogheda, the station was making headway again and advertising from the town was plentiful. Part 1 of the recording above was made from 98.4 FM in mono and runs from 0906-0954 on Friday 21st January 1983. It features Daire Nelson on the breakfast show and includes a comedy slot involving a call to the Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda as well as a weekly sentence in Irish. There are requests from Drogheda, Dundalk, Duleek and Navan. Dara is followed by the late Dave C. at 0930.

Morning shows on Boyneside Radio
Cassette label from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

Part 2 below is from 0957-1045 and includes the One Minute of Pop quiz and news with Shane Harrison, who now works as BBC Northern Ireland’s Dublin correspondent.

Part 2 of the recording.

This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

Teatime on Boyneside Radio

Teatime on Boyneside Radio
Boyneside QSL postcard from 1982 (courtesy Ian Biggar).

In July 1981, a split in Boyneside Radio led to the breakaway station Community Radio Drogheda and the town had two rival stations for the best part of a year. This recording was made in July 1982, shortly after the two stations merged once again. There was some variation in the name around this time: the cassette label refers to Boyneside Community Radio and ‘Boyneside/CRD’ was used on air until the late summer, when the station reverted to Boyneside. Read more about Community Radio Drogheda here.

Teatime on Boyneside Radio
Cassette label referring to ‘Boyneside Community Radio’.

The recording was made from 1500-1535 on 19th July 1982 from 99.5 FM in mono. The presenter is Boyneside stalwart Eddie Caffrey with the afternoon ‘teatime’ slot and a lost-and-found section. News is read by Gerry Malone, another well-known Boyneside voice. There is some wobble on the cassette due to deterioration over the decades.

Teatime on Boyneside Radio
1982 letter from Eddie Caffrey to a Swedish DXer (courtesy Ian Biggar).

This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. Further material from this collection can be found on Radiowaves and the Irish Pirate Radio Archive.

The Green Scene on Boyneside Radio and Television

The Green Scene on Boyneside Radio and Television
Boyneside Radio and Television sticker from 1982 (courtesy DX Archive).

This is a recording of Sean Neilon presenting the popular country and Irish show The Green Scene on Boyneside Radio in Drogheda on Saturday 20th March 1982. The first hour is all Irish music and there are also a few words of Irish to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day. Sean mentions a few times that they are also broadcasting on Boyneside Television, a reference to the short-lived television service that mostly relayed the radio programmes. The Angelus at 12 midday is followed by Dermot Kierans (RIP) with a programme about disability, which was progressive for the time and an example of how the pirates were about more than the Top 40. Dermot was a well-known figure in Drogheda who worked for many good causes in the town.

The Green Scene on Boyneside Radio and Television
Cassette label from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

This recording was made from 99.2 FM in mono. The first part above runs from 1058-1145 and the second below from 1145-1231. More information about the background to Boyneside Television is available here. One of Boyneside’s founders, Eddie Caffrey, has been the main presenter of the Green Scene through the decades and is still heard every Saturday on local station LMFM. It is the longest running programme on Irish local radio. Thanks to Ian Biggar for additional information.

Side B of the recording.

These recordings are from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated by Paul Davidson. Other material from this collection is available on Radiowaves and the Irish Pirate Radio Archive.