Border Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

19th August 202618th August 2026

Border series: Earth Sound Radio from border region

Earth South Radio was a short-lived pirate station broadcasting from Co. Tyrone in the early 1990s. It was re-named many time over a number of years and changed its location to south of the border. Earth Sound Radio was started by Timothy Sloan and Basil Gilroy with a small transmitter at the back of a house in Fivemiletown, east of Enniskillen. It changed its name to Starlight Radio and in mid-1993, Rodney Neill’s newsletter Newsline Ireland reported a Starlight Radio operating from Fivemiletown. A list from 1993 noted Starlight Radio on 105.9 MHz and 1413 kHz AM.

The station was re-named again in 1993, this time as Music City Radio, with its mast in Co. Monaghan. The KISS FM Anoraks Show review of 1993 reported that on 4^th June that year, a new station was heard from Clones called Music City Radio. It was reported as a 250 watt CTE transmitter installed by Gerry Reilly on 100.5 MHz FM in mono, with medium wave also planned. The Anoraks Show on 4^th July 1993 reported Music City Radio on 100.5 MHz with continuous test tapes of country music and poor audio. It appeared on Friday 20^th August on 1251 kHz, but as there was no studio available, it would simply relay Downtown, RTÉ etc. The station then disappeared but it was reported it could re-appear in early 1994 as new funding had been found.

In issue 2 of the pirate magazine Playback (March 1994), it was noted that on 14^th January, Music City Radio appeared on 105.4 MHz playing a diet of country music. On 20^th February 1995, a station list produced by Dublin pirate Coast FM noted Music City Radio on 105.4 MHz and 1404 kHz. Later logs by Coast FM that summer also reported Music City Radio on 1413 kHz. There was no mention of Music City Radio in station lists from 1996, so it may have been finished by that time.

This recording of Earth Sound Radio was made between 2034-2120 from 101.9 FM on 15^th December 1991. The DJ announces himself as Tony Walker. There is plenty of FM fading, reference to a barking dog outside and an advert for a carpet business in Fivemiletown at the very end. The recording was made in Portadown by Rodney Neill and was donated by Ian Biggar. Thanks to Ralph Barry for background information about Earth Sound Radio and successor stations and to Ian for assistance with the text.

24th June 202621st June 2026

Border series: Country and Irish on Misty Mountain Radio

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Misty Mountain Radio was a country and Irish pirate broadcasting from the Cavan border region in the 2000s. This recording of an evening show from autumn 2003 features the usual diet of requests from listeners throughout the county, one of whose donkeys have gone missing! The unidentified DJ finishes his show at 2130 and is followed by automated music.

The tape was made from 107.1 FM between 2010-2140 on Tuesday 14^th October 2003 and is courtesy of Ian Biggar.

19th June 202616th June 2026

Border series: Sunday afternoon on Drive 105

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This is another recording of the Derry/Donegal station Drive 105 from 2000. The station had studios in Derry City but broadcast from just across the border in Donegal, beaming its signal back into the North. The recording features Pierse McCallion in a lunchtime slot, playing mostly oldies. There are adverts from Derry and Donegal but no requests from listeners. Pierse is followed by Paul Anthony with the drivetime show.

The recording was made on from 105.3 FM on Sunday 23^rd July 2000 between 1315-1505, with a break in the middle. Thanks to Ian Biggar for the donation.

17th June 202615th June 2026

Border series: Drive 105 from Donegal/Derry

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Drive 105 began transmissions to Derry and surrounding area on 105.3 MHz in 1999. Originally the station was located in a property just over the border in Muff, County Donegal, near the Rock Bar. The station broadcast a mainly pop music format and featured some staff who had worked on other pirates like Radio North and Riverside 101. As far as we are aware Drive 105 was never raided but did have to temporarily close in August 2001 when officials from the Department were operating in the area. At some point the station moved its studio to Shipquay Street in Derry, linking from there to the transmitter site just over the border in Donegal.

Ian Biggar recalls: I remember hearing Drive 105 in Portpatrick, Scotland on December 30^th 2004 clearly having technical issues with very low audio.

Whether it was due to technical problems or not, Drive 105 left the air in January 2005 seemingly with the intention of applying for a licence. After some time off the air, they received a community licence in 2012 to broadcast to Derry, which they still do to this day. This recording was made from 105.3 FM on 26^th April 2000 between 1315-1445. Plenty of entries into a listeners’ quiz and adverts from Derry and Donegal. The DJ is Brian Magoo. Many thanks to Ian for the donation and background text.

2nd June 20262nd June 2026

Border series: Evening show on KIKX 102

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KIKX 102 was the new name for the short-lived Monaghan pirate FM 100, that broadcast for a few months from 26^th July 1989. Using the former studios and transmitter of previous pirate KITS in Monaghan Town, FM 100 had big plans to secure a music radio licence for Northern Ireland following the closure of the pirates south of the border at the end of 1988. After moving to 102 FM in November 1989, FM 100 relaunched as KIKX 102 but only lasted for another few weeks before closing down. This was an unstable period for the pirates due to the introduction of draconian new broadcasting laws in the Republic.

Our recording features an evening show with mostly chart music and adverts for businesses in Antrim (including Belfast), Armagh and Monaghan. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102 FM sometime in November 1989 between 2134-2219. The DJ calls himself ‘the Gooseman’.