Fergal Owens (left) and Jimmy Williams in a wig in the CBC studios (courtesy Jonathan Ryan).
This recording is of part of the Night Shift programme on CBC (Clonmel Broadcasting Corporation), toward the end of the popular Tipperary station’s seven years on air. DJ Fergal Owens is in flying form despite the late hour and has plenty of chat and music. The day’s broadcasting ends with the national anthem at midnight, which is played at the wrong speed for the first few bars.
Original cassette label from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.
The tape was made on 1st and 2nd November 1988 from 102.7 FM in mono. CBC also broadcast on 828 kHz AM. It closed down at midnight on New Year’s Eve 1988. This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
Jonathan Ryan in the CBC studio c. 1986 (courtesy of Jonathan).
Clonmel Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) broadcast from the town of Clonmel in south Tipperary for over seven years from 1981 to the end of 1988. CBC had a wide variety of programmes and strong roots in its community, reflected in the number of requests from listeners heard in this recording made about two months before the station closed down. First up is one of the long-standing DJs, John (Jonathan) Ryan, presenting the breakfast show. There’s a mixture of musical styles, community notices and a jobs slot and adverts are heard from local businesses in south Tipperary and nearby areas of Waterford and Wexford. John is followed by station manager Peg Power with Golden Memories and a competition to win a breadbin sponsored by Dunnes Stores. News is read by Jimmy Williams.
Jimmy Williams reading the news (courtesy Jonathan Ryan).
Frequencies announced are 102.7, 99.5 and 96 FM. CBC also broadcast on 828 kHz and for a while on 1512 kHz AM, the latter frequency being the former Radio Carrick channel from Carrick-on-Suir. CBC closed down at midnight on New Year’s Eve 1988, along with the vast majority of the pirates.
Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
This recording was made on Wednesday 2nd November 1988 from 102.7 FM. Part 1 above runs from 0938 and Part 2 below from 1027.
Part 2 from 1027.
The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
A young Paul Byrne in the CBC studio (courtesy of Jonathan Ryan).
Paul Byrne began working in pirate radio in his native Tipperary in the early 1980s. In this interview with John Walsh, he explains how he got involved with radio and remembers his involvement in various stations including Radio Carrick (Carrick-on-Suir), CBC (Clonmel), NCLR (Mallow), Centre Radio (an offshoot of CBC) and WLR (Waterford). Listen to a documentary about the history of CBC here.
He also speaks about the influence of radio abroad on the Irish pirates, the quest for originality among the young pioneers, the influence of the pirates on local communities and their broader significance for Irish society in the 1980s.
Poster for CBC Clonmel (courtesy of Jonathan Ryan).
Paul Byrne has 40+ years of experience of the Irish broadcast industry. After the pirates, he worked as a presenter on the licensed WLR and later moved into management, becoming CEO of Tipp FM and then Radio Kerry. In 2020 he became director of Pure Radio, an online station from Tipperary.
House where Radio Carrick was based, 1981, courtesy of Ian Biggar.
Radio Carrick in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary was heard by DX Archive on a trip to Ireland in August 1981. It was located in a bungalow in the town and broadcast on 1512 kHz during daytime only from 8am to 6pm. Power was low as the signal was poor even in nearby Waterford but it was very professional for such a small set-up. The following year Radio Carrick merged with CBC in Clonmel about 20 km west and the rig continued to relay CBC to Carrick until the end of 1988. This recording featuring Nick Hull is from the 19th August 1981 from 0805-0845.
Centre Radio was first located over the red building which was then a barber’s shop at 14 Abbey Street, Clonmel. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Ryan.
Centre Radio was an offshoot of CBC Radio which started broadcasting from Clonmel in Co. Tipperary in November 1981. CBC had a strong community ethos but station boss Paul Byrne wanted a more youth-oriented station and so set up Centre Radio in April 1986. The station lasted until 1987 before being renamed as Premier County Radio.
This recording is from 7.46pm on the 18th of July 1986 and was recorded from 88 FM. Centre also broadcast on 1251 kHz AM. The presenter is Eoin Ryan, who would later become producer of RTÉ’s Nationwide series. Paul Byrne’s voice is heard on the news intro and on some of the adverts. He retired in 2020 as CEO of Radio Kerry. You can listen to a documentary about CBC here.
We thank Jonathan Ryan for his assistance with background information. This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.
