Concord Community Radio flyer (courtesy Alan MacSimoin collection).
Concord Community Radio broadcast from the Artane/Coolock area of northeast Dublin from 1982 and would become North Dublin Community Radio (NDCR), which continued until the end of 1988. It was an AM-only station, announcing 337 metres or 890 kHz (presumably 891). This is a recording from 18th May 1983, the day of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs raid on Radio Nova, which sent shockwaves through the pirate world. No time is given, but the choice of music suggests an evening programme. The unnamed presenter plays punk and reggae and takes requests from listeners but there is no mention of the raid that morning. In the following days many pirates closed down temporarily as a precaution.
This recording is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.
Cover image from a 1981 KCR magazine (courtesy of DX Archive).
Kilkenny Community Radio (KCR) broadcast for almost a decade from May 1979 to December 1988 and was one of the eleven stations affiliated to the National Association of Community Broadcasters. It operated on 1386 kHz (217 metres) for many years but with several other pirates in the south of Ireland on the same frequency, co-channel interference was a problem. FM frequencies were 99.9 and later 97.4 MHz. A new AM rig bought in 1987 allowed KCR to move to 1395 kHz where it remained until it closed, along with the other pirates, on 31st December 1988.
KCR’s AM rig (courtesy of Bill Ebrill).
KCR was based on a community co-operative structure and was chaired in its early years by local priest Fr. Gerry Joyce. A programme committee of shareholders and listeners updated the schedule regularly and the station’s slogan was ‘By the people for the people’. A 1981 magazine For the Record produced by KCR gives a flavour of the philosophy and the wide range of programming, with plenty of input from local voluntary groups. The station was featured in Leon Tipler’s documentary ‘The Irish Pirates’ in 1983. KCR was licensed as Radio Kilkenny in 1989 and continued to broadcast until 2003 when it lost its licence after a reorganisation of the franchises in Counties Carlow and Kilkenny. The present Community Radio Kilkenny City has links with the original pirate station and the 40th anniversary of community radio in Kilkenny was celebrated in 2019.
This recording is of Pat Maher with an easy listening programme from 1414-1502 on Saturday 17th September 1988, during the station’s ‘last 100 days of broadcasting’, as announced by the presenter. It was made from 97.4 FM and was kindly donated by John Breslin.
BLB car sticker from c. 1986 (courtesy of DX Archive).
Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB) was one of the pioneers of community radio in Ireland, broadcasting for almost a decade from 1979 until the end of 1988. It was a leading member of the National Association of Community Broadcasters (NACB) which at its height involved eleven stations around the country all committed to a community model of radio inspired by AMARC principles.
BLB broadcast on 837 and then 828 kHz in its early days but the arrival of Radio Nova on high power in that part of the band in 1981 caused it to move down to 657 kHz. In later years the FM signal on 97.8 MHz got good coverage into Dublin from its high site in Bray. However, in March 1988 Breffni Regional Radio in Co. Cavan moved onto 657 kHz, prompting a complaint from BLB. Such was the world of unregulated pirate radio where competition for suitable frequencies was fierce.
The building on Prince of Wales Terrace in Bray from where BLB broadcast (photo by John Walsh).
This is an airchecked recording of part of the East Coast Top 40 from BLB in May 1988. The presenter is Timmy Hannigan and the show is produced by Elaine Keogh. Despite the co-channel interference from Breffni Radio underneath, there’s a tight and punchy feel to the programme and it is a good example of how professional BLB could sound. Among the voices heard on ads and promos are BLB manager Adrian Kennedy and afternoon presenter Daphne Mitchell who worked on other stations such as Radio Leinster. There’s also a promo for the ‘new look BLB’ giving a flavour of the variety of programming heard on this innovative station.
The East Coast Top 40 was compiled from record sales in shops from Dundalk to Wicklow and aired every Saturday from 1-4pm on BLB. Timmy Hannigan became a leading name in Irish DJ and electronic music culture using the name Mr Spring. Elaine Keogh went on to work in licensed local radio and is now a freelance journalist. Many of those involved in BLB worked in the short-lived licensed station Horizon Radio in Bray from 1989. By 1992, Horizon had merged with the south Wicklow station Easy 103. The station eventually became East Coast FM which holds the country licence today.
We thank Barry Dunne for his donation of this recording.
The Stella Cinema where STYC Radio was based (photo courtesy www.cinematreasures.org)
Because radio technology was so accessible in 1980s Dublin, all sorts of groups could get involved including youth clubs and community associations. Another station which began under the Community Broadcasting Co-operative (CBC) banner was St. Teresa’s Youth Club Radio (STYC) in the Dublin suburb of Mount Merrion.
Following the usual CBC model, STYC Radio came on the air first in August 1983 to coincide with a local festival and was due to return the following summer but never did so. The station was back on 17th August 1986 from the old Stella Cinema under the direction of John Marren and Greg Manahan.
The demolition of the Stella Cinema in February 2019 (courtesy @brianedempsey / Twitter)
There was a still a link with CBC through the FM transmitter which was supplied by Dave Reddy. Although output was only about 40 watts, the signal on 88 FM got good coverage because of the height of the antenna on the roof of the cinema which was only demolished recently. From 1986 STYC also broadcast on 963 kHz AM using the old Dún Laoghaire Local Radio transmitter, formerly Radio South County from Cabinteely in 1980.
The recording above was made on 24th August 1986 and features the final day of STYC Radio that summer. A giddy presenter at the start has mic problems and is followed by Greg Manahan, one of those running the station. There are references to festival events including a kids’ party, car treasure hunt and double DJ disco that night. It’s an Irish music show and bootlegs of U2 are among the songs played. Given that the destructive storm Hurricane Charley hit Ireland that very night, it was just as well that this was STYC’s final day.
The short airchecked recording below is also from August 1986 and includes Kevin O’Leary & Ken Kelleher with their punk show followed by Greg Manahan. The voice of John Marren is heard on the advert.
The long recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International was a shortwave station broadcasting from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin. The shorter clip is shared courtesy of Kevin Branigan. Thanks to Dave Reddy, Paul Murray and Kevin Branigan for background information.
L-R Victor Ryan, Mick Nugent and Al O’Rourke at Radio Ringsend (photo courtesy of Dave Reddy).
We’ve recently featured a number of temporary stations run by the Community Broadcasting Co-operative (CBC). CBC was set up by Dave Reddy and Al O’Rourke in 1982 and operated short-term summer stations coinciding with local festivals in Sandymount, Ringsend, Glasnevin, Donnybrook and Mount Merrion. CBC was also involved with pop-up stations in Ráth Chairn, Co. Meath and Wicklow Town, the latter leading to the full-time station WLCB (Wicklow Local Community Broadcasting).
Letterhead for the Community Broadcasting Co-operative from 1986 (courtesy of Ian Biggar).
CBC also sometimes broadcast using its own name, rather than as a specific local station. This recording from 1005-1050 on Sunday, 15th April 1984 is one such example. Al O’Rourke is on air and is full of chat about the morning’s papers and the news of the week. He explains that CBC will soon be operating local temporary stations and lists upcoming broadcasts from Sandymount, Glasnevin, Ringsend and Mount Merrion. Interested community groups or youth clubs are invited to get in touch. The recording was made from 1116 kHz (announcing 270 metres) but Al O’Rourke also mentions that they will be on 199 metres (1512 kHz) later that morning.
This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.
