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Radio Leinster following general election 1981

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Radio Leinster following general election 1981
Radio Leinster sticker (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

Radio Leinster was a specialist station broadcasting to Dublin from 1981 to 1983. Whereas many pirates were in direct competition with RTÉ Radio 2, Radio Leinster attempted to poach listeners from RTÉ Radio 1 due to its distinct programming. After an early experimental period, it settled into an easy-listening format and also offered a range of musical genres and talk programmes. Radio Leinster closed suddenly on 19th May 1983 following raids by Gardaí and the Department of Posts and Telegraphs on the big Dublin stations Sunshine Radio and Radio Nova.

This recording was made early in Radio Leinster’s life on June 12th 1981, the day after Ireland’s general election. Paul Vincent is on air and makes several references to the vote the previous day. The tape was recorded from 738 kHz AM (announcing 406 metres) between 0810-0855 and is courtesy of Ian Biggar and DX Archive.

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Breakfast on Community Radio Fingal

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Breakfast on Community Radio Fingal
CRF car sticker (courtesy DX Archive).

This is a recording of Community Radio Fingal (CRF) made by Leon Tipler during a visit to Dublin in 1982. It features a short extract from the breakfast show presented by Damien from 0848-0858 on Monday 13th September 1982 recorded from 1584 kHz (189 metres). The local FM transmitter on 96 MHz is also mentioned. CRF would later move slightly up the AM band to 1575 kHz, which was a clearer channel.

This recording is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

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Visit to Community Radio Fingal

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Visit to Community Radio Fingal
CRF sticker (courtesy of DX Archive).

Community Radio Fingal (CRF) broadcast from various locations in north Co. Dublin from March 1982 until the end of 1988. In September 1982, they were visited at the Rockabill Hotel near Skerries by the British radio enthusiast Leon Tipler during one of his Irish trips.

This is the unedited version of the interviews about CRF in Tipler’s documentary series ‘The Irish Pirates’. Speaking in the tiny CRF studio, Pat Young explains that the station emerged from Dublin Community Radio, which by 1982 was struggling with increased competition in the city’s pirate scene. At the time the station broadcast on 1584 kHz AM, announcing 189 metres, with 1 kW of power which gave it good reception all over Dublin. A 25-watt FM transmitter on 96 MHz linked to the AM installation a few kilometres away. CRF had 10-12 presenters and four sales staff and was doing well with listeners and advertisers. Tipler also interviews DJ Sindy who is one of four female presenters and a part-time sales representative.

This recording is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

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Roland Burke on Radio Leinster

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Roland Burke on Radio Leinster
Radio Leinster logo (courtesy of David Baker)

This is an early recording of Radio Leinster made from 1722-1809 on 28th May 1981 from its AM frequency of 738 kHz (406 metres). Roland Burke (RIP) is on air with what he admits himself is a musical mixture, ranging from current pop artists such as Kim Wilde and Toyah Wilcox to the Eagles, Manhattan Transfer and Linda Ronstadt. it’s all a bit confusing and clearly Leinster was still finding its niche and was yet to become the easy listening station which became its hallmark in later times.

Surprisingly there are no ads to be heard in this 45-minute recording even though Radio Leinster was on air for a month at this stage. There’s no sign either of the news service that was promised when the station launched.

Reception is fair as the recording was made in Scotland. We thank Ken Baird for this donation.

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Tom Hardy on Sunshine Radio

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Tom Hardy on Sunshine Radio
Tom Hardy (bottom right) with Robbie Robinson (L) and Stevie Dunne (undated, courtesy Pat Herbert).

Tom Hardy (RIP) worked in the offshore pirate Radio Caroline before coming to Sunshine Radio in Dublin in 1981. He was also a DJ on Radio Nova and its offshoot KISS FM as well as the other KISS FM in Monaghan in 1988, before going on to licensed radio in the 1990s. Tom died in 2022.

Tom Hardy on Sunshine Radio
A rusty sign for Tamango’s at the current White Sands Hotel in Portmarnock (photo by John Walsh).

This recording from 1829-1856 on Tuesday 20th July 1982 features Tom on Sunshine Radio. As well as presenting an eclectic mix of music, he reads news headlines and a gig guide. The commercial break includes an ad for Tamango’s nightclub, located next door to Sunshine at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock. A very young Cathy Cregan, one of Sunshine’s newsreaders, is also heard voicing an ad.

We thank Paul Buckle for this donation. An interview with Tom Hardy is available here.