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Sunshine Radio on Christmas Day 1981

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Sunshine Radio on Christmas Day 1981
Group shot of the early Sunshine crew in 1980 (from Sunshine Review 1985).

This recording features snippets from Christmas Day 1981 on Dublin pirate Sunshine Radio, by then one of the city’s two leading stations alongside Radio Nova. The station was still on 91.6 FM at that stage, as well as its AM frequency on 531 kHz. DJs in this airchecked recording from throughout the day are Declan Meehan, Stevie Dunne, David Lyons and John Lewis. News on the hour is read by a hungry Siobhán Walls, who is dreaming of her Christmas dinner.

The recording was made by Kieran Murray from 91.6 FM on December 25th 1981 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. Audio quality is fair with some cassette wobble due to the passing of time.

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Drivetime on Magic 103

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Drivetime on Magic 103
Magic 103 studios (courtesy DX Archive).

Magic 103 was launched by Radio Nova on April 29th 1985, promoting itself as an easy-listening and information service for Dublin. This placed the station more in competition with RTÉ Radio 1 than Radio 2, but it never really found its feet and presentation and production standards were mixed during its short period on air. Magic 103 closed on 22nd September and the laying off of staff worsened a dispute with the National Union of Journalists, which would ultimately contribute to the demise of Radio Nova.    

The tape begins with the end of the afternoon show with Mark Weller (Costigan) and Linda Conway, which includes an interview related to one of the day’s news stories. ABC Network News on the hour is broadcast on both Magic 103 and Radio Nova. Shane Mac Gabhann and Dave Johnson (Andrew Hanlon) follow the 1700 news with a drivetime news and music show, including a newspaper review, sports news, community information, a book feature and an entertainment guide.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 103.5 FM between 1645-1818 on Wednesday 17th July 1985.

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More Gareth O’Callaghan on Sunshine Radio

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More Gareth O'Callaghan on Sunshine Radio
Sunshine sticker from the mid-1980s (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

This is another recording of long-time Irish radio DJ Gareth O’Callaghan on Dublin pirate Sunshine Radio. Using the name Tony Garreth by which he was known on air in his early pirate career, Gareth presents a mid-morning show in 1984. News on the hour is read by Cathy Cregan.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was recorded from 101.5 FM between 1036-1147 on Monday 27th February 1984.

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Charity fundraiser on Radio Leinster

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Charity fundraiser on Radio Leinster
Radio Leinster sticker (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

Radio Leinster was a talk and specialist station serving Dublin from 1981-1983. This recording of a mid-morning show from autumn 1981 features a charity fundraiser for the Palatine Fathers’ mission in Tanzania. Fr Mike Culloty was a Palatine priest who presented a religious programme every Sunday morning on the station. Encouraging listeners to phone in pledges are Mike Moran and Vinnie Connell. Commercial breaks include adverts for businesses around Dublin and after much excitement at the generous response to the appeal, Mike and Vinnie are followed by the lunchtime programme presented by station manager Justin James. 

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made on Saturday 26th September 1981 from 738 kHz, announcing 406 metres, between 1155-1327.

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Gerard Roe on Radio Annabel (17th February 1985)

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Gerard Roe on Radio Annabel (17th February 1985)
Radio Annabel advert in The Sunday World in 1985 (Alan McSimoin Collection).

The Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show with Gerard Roe on Radio Annabel was a must for radio anoraks in Dublin in the mid-1980s. The weekly show shared news from the pirate radio scene at home and abroad, including recordings shared by listeners. This show from early 1985 begins as usual with news from the same period the previous year, including a new version of the long-promised local radio legislation, the jamming of Radio Nova on FM and the closure of Radio Dublin Channel 2, where Gerard Roe had previously presented his FRC. This show also contains a Sunshine Radio tribute to Radio Caroline on its 20th anniversary and an interview with Chris Cary about Radio Nova. Nova is also reported to be audible on telephones in south Dublin, an issue causing annoyance to certain politicians. There are also promos for Anoraks UK and Anoraks Ireland and UK free radio news including the raids on Radio Jackie.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 92 FM on Sunday 17th February 1985 from 1658-1828. Radio Annabel also broadcast on 1323 kHz (227 metres) and a recording of the FRC was relayed every week on shortwave pirate Westside Radio International.