L-R Chris Barry, Alan Russell and Dave Lee at Capitol in 1978 (courtesy Alan Russell)
Capitol Radio was an innovative station broadcasting to Dublin in the 1970s and 1980s. Like other pirates of the era, it began as a part-time operation in August 1975, taking to the airwaves on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. After a raid in December, the station closed down for more than two years. Capitol returned on a full-time basis in February 1978 and offered an eclectic mix of music and talk until 1981.
This recording from summer 1979 features one of Capitol’s founders, Alan Russell, presenting the breakfast show. The musical mix is laid-back and includes oldies. Adverts for local businesses are aired and there is also a sales promo offering both radio adverts and graphic design for businesses wishing to advertise in local press. Alan is to hand over at 1100 to Chris Barry, another co-founder of Capitol.
The recording was made from 1332 kHz, announcing 226 metres, from 0907-0950 on 19th July 1979. It is from the Leon Tipler Collection, donated to us by Steve England. Audio quality is variable due to cassette degradation over time.
Capitol Radio poster from 1980 (courtesy Alan Russell).
This is a recording of a BBC report on Irish pirate radio, featuring the specialist station Capitol Radio in Dublin (1975 and 1978-1981). It was broadcast on the BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat programme on 26th November 1981 and on BBC World Service on shortwave around the world. One of Capitol’s founders Alan Russell is interviewed and speculates about the establishment of legalised commercial radio in Ireland. The report also includes a clip from Capitol DJ Chris Barry.
The interview was conducted in Dublin in February 1981 but not broadcast until November. Capitol had in fact closed the previous March and Alan speculates that the delay in airing the interview could have been because the BBC did not want to unduly antagonise RTÉ by featuring a pirate currently on air. Similarly, they may not have wanted to publicise Robbie Robinson of Sunshine Radio or Chris Cary of Radio Nova, both of whom had a history in UK offshore pirate radio. Capitol Radio had been known to the UK radio industry as a specialist station following a 1980 article in a British trade magazine Radio Month (see below). Alan believes that Capitol was one of the few Irish pirates, if not the only one, to get worldwide airtime on the BBC.
Thanks to Alan Russell for the donation of this recording and images.
Part 1 of Radio Month feature from January 1980 (courtesy Alan Russell).
Capitol Radio (220 and later 226 metres) was a mixed-format station broadcasting from Dublin in 1975 and then from 1978-1981. The station had many specialist music programmes as well as news and current affairs and provided evidence, from the beginning of the pirate era, that not all stations played chart hits only.
This news bulletin from 9th March 1979 is read by one of Capitol’s founders, Alan Russell. Stories include a Supreme Court judgement in favour of former Garda Commissioner Ned Garvey who was dismissed by the government in 1978.
It also includes a defence by RTÉ presenter Bunny Carr of the television quiz show Quicksilver, then under fire from critics.
Alan Russell went on to set up stations in Galway in the 1980s. We thank him for donating this recording and the photo.
Advert for Capitol featuring the Rockabilly programme (courtesy Alan Russell).
The Rockabilly Programme was a regular weekly feature on Dublin’s Capitol Radio (1975 and 1978-1981), initially on Tuesdays before moving to Wednesdays between eleven and midnight. It was presented by Stompin’ George (George Verschoyle), who also hosted a Rockabilly music session on Monday nights at the Magnet Bar in Pearse Street, featuring various local Rockabilly bands such as Rocky De Valera and the Gravediggers, Crazy Cavan and others.
Stompin’ George in the Magnet in 1978.
On this programme from c. August 1978, George is joined by Ferdia Mac Anna (Rocky from Rocky and the Gravediggers) to review and play Ferdia’s top Rockabilly music choices. One of the founders of Capitol, Ed McDowell, is heard giving the timecheck after the programme handover. Thanks to another Capitol founder, Alan Russell, for the recording and photos.
Advert for the Magnet from Hot Press (courtesy Alan Russell).
Click here for a Stompin’ George (George Verschoyle) biography and review of 1970s Dublin Rockabilly music scene.
Click here for Fanning Sessions clips of Rocky and the Gravediggers.
L-R: Chris Barry, Alan Russell and Dave Lee at Capitol in 1978 (courtesy Alan Russell).
This is a documentary about local radio in Ireland as broadcast by Dublin station Capitol Radio in May 1979. Presented by one of the station’s founders Alan Russell, it was aired before the local and European Parliament elections on 7th June and includes interviews with Fianna Fáil politicians as heard on Radio Tralee. There are also clips of early Dublin pirates and audio of a raid on Capitol by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in 1978. We thank Alan Russell for donating this unique recording and for providing the following background to Capitol.
Imagine if you will – a world with no Twitter or Facebook, Netflix or the other internet bells and whistles, no satellite TV or mobile phones. That was the world less than 50 years ago and perhaps one of the reasons radio entertainment was more diverse and popular than today. It was a time prior to independent radio licencing and dozens of stations were operating throughout the country in an unregulated ‘pirate’ capacity, providing local news, entertainment and advertising for local businesses. In Ireland it was a time of social change and crossing the threshold into a new decade, the 1980s.
It’s over 40 years since Capitol Radio – one of Dublin city’s pioneering AM radio stations – closed in March 1981 after three years of daily programming. Capitol had previously broadcast on a weekly basis between July and December 1975 and with assistance from music promoters had aired interviews with musicians and bands, including Phil Lynott, Status Quo, Chris De Burgh and Horslips in their weekly programmes. At the time there was just the one national radio channel – Radio Éireann (now RTÉ) and minimal airtime was provided for contemporary music. RTÉ Radio 2 – now 2FM – was launched in 1979 mainly in response to the pirate stations, which were securing a considerable audience nationally. The station founders Chris Barry, Ed Mc Dowell and Alan Russell had previous airtime experience, Ed having operated Radio Empathy some years before. Another station Director, Tommy Hogarty, secured initial financing from a Dublin publican which helped lease a studio premises.
Alan Russell in Capitol in 1980 (courtesy of Alan).
After carrying out test transmissions in March 1978 Capitol launched daily programmes in April from studios on Bachelors Walk, 100 yards from O’Connell Bridge. Our first aerial was an ambitious quarter-wave dipole which ran from near the Ha’penny Bridge to the roof of our premises and the nearby Bachelor Inn – in exchange for daily adverts! The station frequency was 1358 kHz or 220 metres (later changed to 226 metres) and was heard in the UK and Europe. After the dipole aerial system was repeatedly damaged by nuisance neighbours we changed to an inverted L which was in a more secure area, although we lost the skywave bounce for long distance listeners.
Capitol’s alternative music format was album-oriented and a selective top-40 playlist, with nightly specialist music programmes including jazz, new wave, rock, Irish folk and trad, rockabilly and country and western. From 9pm, free public service broadcasts were aired for the Samaritans, Alone and similar voluntary organisations. Interviews with local singers/authors/celebrities etc. were also a regular feature of daytime programmes. A news service was a later addition, headed by Adrian Horsmann.
