Saturday morning on Cork’s ERI

Saturday morning on Cork's ERI
Cover of undated ERI station leaflet (Anoraks Ireland collection).

ERI was one of Ireland’s most successful pirate stations, broadcasting from County Cork and later Cork City between 1982 and 1988. After installing a 5kW AM transmitter on 1305 kHz (225 metres) in 1983, it gained dominance among listeners and advertisers in Munster. The station could also be heard further afield at night due to AM propagation, as in this recording made in Kidderminster in the English midlands in the winter of 1983.

It begins with the end of Mark Lawrence’s Saturday breakfast show, which is followed by news read by John O’Connor. Next up is the children’s programme Junior Club. Commercial breaks feature adverts for local businesses and for brands and include the voice of John Blake (real name John Creedon), who would go on to become a well-known RTÉ presenter. There is plenty of deep fading in the recording due to the distance from the AM transmitter. The tape was made on Saturday 26th November 1983 from 0845-0900 from 1305 kHz and is from the Leon Tipler Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

Anoraks Ireland featured on Radio Caroline Cork

Anoraks Ireland featured on Radio Caroline Cork
Generic Anoraks Ireland cassette inlay from our collection.

Many of our recordings are from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson (Tony Donlon, RIP). Tony travelled Ireland throughout the 1980s visiting pirate stations big and small, making recordings and taking photographs. In this recording, he is interviewed on Radio Caroline Cork during a visit just before Christmas 1984.

In the interview, Tony tells station boss Dave Hammond that the aim of Anoraks Ireland is to promote free and independent radio in Ireland. He opposes plans to allow RTÉ control local radio and speculates that if passed, the radio bill will establish just two stations in Dublin and one each in the other cities including Cork. The proposed broadcasting legislation of the time ultimately failed due to ideological differences between the coalition partners and it was not until 1988 that laws were adopted to licence independent radio.

This recording was made from around 1245 on Thursday 13th December 1984 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. No frequency is given.

John Lewis on South Coast Radio

John Lewis on South Coast Radio
John Lewis in the South Coast studio in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

Former offshore DJ John Lewis spent a stint on Cork’s South Coast Radio in 1982 and 1983. He had previously worked on Radio Caroline in the 1970s until the Mi Amigo sank in 1980 and was also heard on the Voice of Peace off the Israeli coast. In this recording, John presents a Saturday evening show featuring plenty of requests, the Lewis Cues quiz and sports news with John Kenny. News at the top of the hour is read by Andrew Hewkin and commercial breaks feature both agency adverts and spots for local businesses.

John Lewis returned to North Sea in 1984 and joined the new offshore station Laser before returning to Radio Caroline. He still broadcasts on the current licensed Radio Caroline and has also worked with other UK commercial stations.

John Lewis on South Coast Radio
Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

This tape was made on Saturday 20th August 1983 from 1725-1902. It was recorded from 103.7 FM, announced as 104. South Coast also broadcast on 1557 kHz, announced as 194 metres. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

Summer breakfast on South Coast Radio

Summer breakfast on South Coast Radio
Don Stevens in the South Coast studio in February 1983 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

This recording of successful Cork pirate South Coast Radio features Don Stevens on the Sunrise Special breakfast show on a warm summer morning in 1983. Don worked previously on offshore stations such as Radio Caroline and the Voice of Peace before coming to Ireland where he joined South Coast Radio. He later went on to Galway pirates Atlantic Sound and WLS Music Radio.

Summer breakfast on South Coast Radio
Jim Lockhart (aka Neil Prendeville) in February 1983 in the newsroom (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

News on the hour is read by Jim Lockhart, who also presents a review of the morning papers. Jim began in radio in 1978 at the age of 16 and worked on Cork stations such as Radio Shandon, Cork City Radio, CBC, CCLR and Radio City before joining South Coast in October 1982. Under his real name Neil Prendeville, he has long been a well-known presenter on licensed radio in Cork.

Summer breakfast on South Coast Radio
Original label from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The tape was made from 103.5 FM from 0746-0821 and 0830-0904 on Monday 15th August 1983. There has been some degradation of the cassette, particularly in the second part. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

Into the early hours on South Coast Radio

Into the early hours on South Coast Radio
Steve Douglas in the South Coast studio in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

Aged only 20 when he joined, Steve Douglas was South Coast’s youngest DJ, having started in Capital Radio Cork in May 1979 when still a teenager. He later presented on another Cork pirate, Radio City, and began working weekend shifts on South Coast in October 1982 before getting a regular daily slot.

This recording features Steve Douglas finishing off his evening show with a relaxed music mix. News at midnight is read by Andrew Hewkin and includes stories from Cork. Next up is popular South Coast DJ Nick Richards with Nightline into the early hours.

Into the early hours on South Coast Radio
Nick Richards in the South Coast newsroom in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

The tape was recorded from 103.7 FM, announced as 104, from 2320-0054 on 11th and 12th May 1983. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. A week later the Irish radio world would be rocked by raids on high-profile Dublin stations Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio.