Big L Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

7th November 202527th October 2025

Lunchtime on Big L from Limerick

Big L was a long-running station broadcasting from Limerick City from 1978-1985. It occupied various frequencies at the top end of the medium wave band and later expanded its range on FM. By 1984, the station was claiming coverage of most other counties in Munster as well as Limerick. Big L was run by English DJ Mike Richardson (pictured), who went on to set up Kerry pirates WRKY, Horizon Radio and Rocky 103 and was also involved in Galway station Twiggs FM.

This recording of Big L is from two days in November 1984, as the station approached its final Christmas. On air is Francis Jones with the lunchtime programme, using the strapline ‘Big L Radio Limerick – the stereo sound of Munster’. There is a quiz to win tickets for a local gig and plenty of requests and dedications, many from kids rushing back to school after their lunch break. A run-down of programmes later that day gives a sense of the diversity on Big L at the time. Adverts are heard for local businesses and some larger brands. Francis Jones continues to broadcast to this day on the licensed station Radio Kerry.

The first half of the recording was made from 98.3 FM between 1303-1348 on Wednesday 7^th November 1984 and the second part is from the same time on the following day, Thursday 8^th November. At this time, Big L also broadcast on 91.7 and 104.2 FM and 1560 kHz AM (off-channel), announcing 194 metres. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

21st June 202427th October 2025

Drivetime on Big L from Limerick

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Big L was one of the longer-running pirates from Limerick City, broadcasting from 1978 until 1985. It was set up by English DJ Mike Richardson and Hayman Harris (a nephew of actor Richard Harris) and based in Ellen Street in the city centre. The station was raided shortly after its launch in June 1978 but returned to the air and consolidated its audience and advertisers over time. The station occupied various frequencies towards the top end of the medium wave band and later added FM. An article in the Limerick Echo in August 1984 claimed that with four transmitters, Big L covered an area of a quarter of a million people in Limerick, Clare, Kerry, Tipperary and Cork. However, by April 1985 Big L had closed down, bringing almost seven years of broadcasting to an end.

This recording of Big L was made in the run-up to its final Christmas in 1984 and features part of the afternoon drivetime show with Liam Ahern. Music is a mixture of chart, oldies and ballads and adverts from Limerick City and surrounding towns are heard. There are some technical issues during the programme and crackle is audible on the FM reception.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 1605-1650 on Wednesday 12^th December 1984 from 102 FM. A log from around the same time listed Big L on 1560 kHz AM (off-channel) and 91.7, 98.3 and 104.2 FM.

16th June 20206th August 2021

Documentary: The Irish Pirates (Volume 7)

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Continuing with Part 3 of Leon Tipler’s documentary ‘The Irish Pirates’, we hear more from the Cork radio scene in 1983 and also learn about the Limerick pirates. The hour begins with a visit to the 10 kW South Coast Radio AM transmitter site in Cork in the company of John Lewis. That is followed by a visit to ERI and an interview with veteran broadcaster Don Allen. There is also a rare insight into the earliest days of the Cork pirates in an interview with Con McParland. Tipler then continues to Limerick where he calls into two local stations, Big L and Raidió Luimní. The episode concludes with interviews with Mike Richardson of Big L and the popular John ‘the Man’ Frawley of Raidió Luimní.

This recording is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

Index to Volume 7

00:00 Visit to South Coast Radio TX site
09:11 Visit to ERI studios
16:30 Interview with Don Allen
25:00 ERI heard in UK
26:10 John Lewis on South Coast Radio
27:45 Interview with Con McParland of Radio Sundown
30:00 Visit to Limerick
30:50 Raidió Luimní
33:00 Big L
35:00 Visit to Big L
36:50 Interview with Mike Richardson
44:05 John ‘the Man’ Frawley on Raidió Luimní
46:06 Visit to Raidió Luimní
49:00 Interview with John ‘the Man’ Frawley

3rd May 20207th August 2021

Full recording: WRKY Rocky 103

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WRKY Rocky 103 broadcast from Co. Kerry under different guises and from different locations. It was launched in September 1984 in Killarney on 103.2 FM with a repeater to the south in Farranfore on 97.2 FM. WRKY emerged from Mike Richardson’s popular Big L Radio in Limerick which closed in April 1985. In 1986 WRKY was hit by scandal when £10,000 raised as part of the global Sport Aid initiative went missing along with one of its presenters. In September Phoenix magazine reported that staff at WRKY walked out after demanding a pay rise from station owner Donal O’Doherty, having been offered more money by another local businessman planning to set up a rival, unnamed station.

Horizon Radio was a spin-off of WRKY set up in June 1986 by Mike Richardson and Francis Jones. It began in Killorglin but later moved to a hotel near Tralee before closing in 1987. Richardson ran a station called Rocky 103 from Listowel in north Kerry in 1988. Thanks to Ian Biggar, Liam Byrne and Martin Ryan for additional information.

This recording from 103 FM from 1.03pm was made on Friday the 7th of June 1985. The presenter is unidentified but sports news is read by Vincent Casey and news is read by Mary O’Sullivan at 1.30pm. The format is a mixture of pop, Irish showband and country and there are community notices and ads for local traders. The recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin. Further jingles can be heard below.

WRKY jingles courtesy of Liam Byrne.

6th October 201926th June 2021

Interview: Paul Kelly (Radio Clare, Radio Munster, Hits 954)

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In this interview, Paul Kelly remembers working as a presenter on pirate radio stations in Clare and Limerick in 1987 and 1988. He began at Radio Clare in Ennis in 1987 and recalls the very basic studio and transmitter set-up before better equipment was installed with the assistance of Big L in Limerick. Paul then moved on to Limerick city stations Radio Munster and the more formatted Hits 954. He also discusses the bandscans that he did in Limerick in the final weeks and days of the pirates in December 1988. The interviewer is Mary Ryan.