Border Archives - Page 12 of 15 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

15th January 202317th May 2023

Border series: early Radio Star Country broadcasts

Welcome to our special series on Monaghan station Radio Star Country, one of the longest-running Irish pirates ever. The country music station has been on the air more or less continuously since 1988 to the present day. It broadcast initially on 927 kHz, then 891 kHz, and finally (and today) 981 kHz.

Radio Star Country’s first test transmission took place on Wednesday 11^th May 1988 at 1.30pm on 927 kHz AM (324 metres medium wave) and 103.2 MHz FM, and consisted of continuous country music. The station was broadcasting from the Swan Lake Hotel in Monaghan Town and the man behind the new venture was Gerry Byrne, who had also worked on Telstar Community Radio (Dundalk), Big M Community Radio (Castleblayney) and Northern Star (Monaghan).

The recording above is the earliest known tape of Radio Star Country shortly before it began broadcasting officially. The test broadcast on 12^th May 1988 (no times were logged) consists of continuous country and Irish music and links every few records by Gerry Byrne, who invites potential DJs to apply for positions at the station. The address of the Swan Lake Hotel is given, as well as a Monaghan phone number. Both 103.3 and 103.5 FM are mentioned at different times in the broadcast. The recording below is of Gerry Byrne’s morning show from 0823-1023 on 9^th June 1988.

Gerry Byrne as heard in Blackpool on 9th June 1988.

Both tapes were made in Blackpool, England and suffer from electrical interference at times. Audio levels are variable in the test broadcast. The recordings are courtesy of DX Archive.

12th October 20229th October 2022

Border-blaster Zee 103 from Co. Louth

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Zee 103 logo from advertising card (courtesy Ian Biggar).

Zee 103 was a contemporary music station broadcasting from just south of the border in Omeath, Co. Louth from late 1986 until early 1989. It was one of several ‘border-blaster’ pirates from the 1980s, aiming its signal into Northern Ireland. Its origins were in another station, KISS FM, which began broadcasting from Craigavon in Co. Armagh in 1985 but moved south of the border to Omeath following a raid by the British authorities. Internal politics led to a delay in the station getting on air and resulted in a number staff of staff leaving to start their own operation, which would become KISS FM in Monaghan Town.

Border-blaster Zee 103 from Co. Louth — Zee 103 was based in Ardaghy House near Omeath (courtesy Ian Biggar).

Test transmissions using the name ‘Zee 103.3’ were made from Omeath in October 1986 and the station adjusted the frequency slightly to 103.25. Regular programming began on 11^th November 1986 and continued until 31^st December 1988 when the vast majority of Ireland’s pirate stations closed down in the light of legislation to legalise independent radio. Zee 103 ventured back on the air on 19th January 1989 but closed for good on 7^th February as it became apparent that the authorities would crack down on pirates that were defying the new law.

This recording of Zee 103 is of Brendan Mee on an evening show between 1925-2027. Brendan was also heard on Galway pirates including WLS and offshore station Voice of Peace. The tape is undated but is estimated to be from April or May 1988. All adverts are for businesses north of the border, reflecting the fact that the station’s signal was aimed at mid-Ulster. Thanks to Brendan Mee for the donation and to Ian Biggar for background. Read a full station history here.

28th December 202118th January 2025

Final day of KISS FM Monaghan

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This is a flavour of some of the final day of the Monaghan pirate station KISS FM that rocked the radio world along the border and in Northern Ireland during its short nine months on air in 1988. Other Irish pirates had tried and failed to break the Belfast market and in November 1987, engineer Miles Johnston decided to set up a high powered FM station right on the border with proper coverage of the North. KISS FM came on the air on AM and FM in March 1988 and quickly made a mark, much to the consternation of the local ILR station, Downtown Radio, in Belfast. Its FM signal was so powerful that it could be heard in stereo in Scotland and Downtown attempted to have the Monaghan station jammed and raided.

The recording above is of the final 45 minutes of KISS FM on December 30^th 1988 from 1720-1805. Tom Hardy (RIP), who worked previously on Radio Caroline, Sunshine Radio and Radio Nova, is in the DJ’s chair and is joined by Miles Johnston, Susan Charles and Denis Murray. In an echo of the famous Radio Nova closedown in 1983, Tom asks motorists to blow their horns at 6pm and they duly oblige.

The recording below is of part of the final shows of Owen Barry (Larkin) and Dennis Murray from 1132. There is an edit at the end of the recording.

Both recordings were made from 103.7 FM and are courtesy of John Breslin.

24th September 202115th June 2024

Border series: Sunrise Special on Westside Radio

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This is another recording of Westside Radio, a station broadcasting from Sligo from 1986 to 1988. On air is Ed Stevens with the breakfast show called Sunrise Special although as he notes, the morning is wet and overcast. He claims that Westside is the only station broadcasting in either Sligo or Leitrim at that time. The style isn’t particularly slick, audio levels are uneven and the station phone is out of order, but there are plenty of ads for local businesses so clearly Westside had an audience around Sligo.

The recording was made from 0800-0932 on 30^th August 1988 from 97.6 FM, announced as 97.5. We thank John Breslin for the donation. It seems that Westside Radio closed in the autumn of that year.

Part 2 of recording from 0845-0932.

22nd September 202115th June 2024

Border series: Westside Radio from Sligo

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Westside Radio began broadcasting from Sligo on 97.5 MHz FM on 15^th November 1986, playing mostly country and western music. The Weekly Report of Anoraks UK on 7^th December reported that the audio was quite loud and sometimes distorted. An advert in Weekly Report in February 1987 (pictured) claimed that Westside was Sligo’s ‘first ever country music, folk and traditional and easy listening radio station’. Subsequent reports by Anoraks UK referred to plenty of requests and adverts, so the format appeared to be working locally. By April 1987, the station had changed its name to Westside Community Radio.

In February 1987, a West Coast Radio from Sligo was reported to be testing on 1143 kHz AM and 103.5 FM. This was a shortlived station but there must have been confusion between the similar names when both were on air.

This recording of Westside Radio was made from 97.6 FM from 2028-2202 (part 2 below) on 29^th August 1988 and features a chart music show with Des McAleer who adds ‘Power 97.5 FM’ to the station ID. Clearly Westside had moved beyond its original easy listening format by this late stage in its existence, at least in its evening shows. The station was listed in an Anoraks UK log on 5^th July 1988 and Power 97 is mentioned in a report from Sligo on 24^th September, suggesting that it may have changed its name by that time. We thank John Breslin for this donation.

Part 2 of the recording (2115-2202).