Dublin Archives - Page 8 of 82 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

20th September 202415th September 2024

Love songs at drivetime on Cara 95

Cara 95 was a temporary name given to the Dublin love songs station Heartbeat FM (1986-1988). Rebranded as Cara in 1987, the change was shortlived as listeners prefered the original title. The diet of love songs proved popular even in the crowded Dublin radio market and Heartbeat had built up a loyal following by its closure at the end of 1988. It returned as a pirate in the 1990s, subsequently broadcast under a temporary licence and continues today online.

This recording of Cara 95 features the evening drivetime show presented by Eamonn Kelly, formerly heard on Cork station ERI and Dublin station Q102. There are adverts for local businesses but not a huge amount for the time of day, perhaps reflecting waning popularity due to the name change. The show includes traffic updates, a holiday magazine slot and a mystery movie competition. News is read by Maurice Nevin (RIP). Of note is the reference to ‘digital stereo on CD’, reflecting the growing popularity of the compact disk at the time.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 95.5 FM on Thursday 1^st October 1987 from 1620-1751.

13th September 20245th September 2024

Sunshine Radio protests against RTÉ jamming

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Frustrated by the commercial success of the large Dublin stations Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio and by the failure of politicians to regulate the radio market, RTÉ began jamming the pirates in 1984 by broadcasting on the same frequencies. At the beginning of the year, RTÉ stepped up its jamming campaign against Nova before moving to block the signal of Sunshine Radio at the end of March. The actions caused consternation due to the popularity of the stations and politicians, including the Minister for Communications, expressed their concern in the Dáil. The jamming ended in May, reportedly after intervention from the government.

These airchecked recordings are of Sunshine Radio’s news bulletins about a week into the RTÉ campaign after the station’s FM frequencies were jammed. Managing Director Robbie Robinson is quoted as saying that Sunshine Radio was like a moped being chased by a 10-ton truck. Newsreaders are Cathy Cregan, Stephen Fogarty, Justin McKenna and Gary Miley. The bulletins are from Wednesday 4^th April 1984 at 1200, 1300, 1400, 1600 and 2400 and the tape also includes an excerpt from Robinson’s morning show the following day. The recording was made from 531 kHz AM and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

11th September 202422nd September 2024

Gerry Stevens on Energy 103 lunchtime

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Energy 103 was one of the most successful Dublin stations at the end of the pirate era, broadcasting from April 1986 until March 1988. This recording is of a familiar voice on Energy, Gerry Stevens (Lang) with a lunchtime show in the summer of 1986. There are the usual high-level adverts for larger businesses and brands and the slick Energy jingles. News is read by Dave Johnson (Andrew Hanlon) and George Long (Henry O’Donovan, RIP). The daily news quiz attracts many callers during lunch hour.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 103 FM on Wednesday 23^rd July 1986 from 1244-1420. Energy 103 also broadcast on 738 kHz AM.

9th September 20241st September 2024

Evening drivetime with DJ Lee on Radio Leinster

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Radio Leinster was a multi-format station broadcasting to Dublin and surrounding areas from 1981-1983. The music style was MOR/easy-listening and there were also specialist programmes covering a wide range of genres.

This recording features a familiar voice on the Dublin pirates, DJ Lee, presenting the evening Bumper to Bumper show. The programme includes traffic reports, a listeners’ competition, featured albums, the Ramble Around Dublin slot, TV movies and a city events guide. Adverts are heard for businesses throughout Dublin and news on the hour is read by Gary Miley, who would later work for Sunshine Radio and eventually RTÉ. News at 1900 is edited out but Lee is followed by Conor Brooks with a Top 40 show, presumably one of Radio Leinster’s specialist programmes. Conor would later be heard on alternative/indie station Capitol/Nitesky 96.

Radio Leinster broadcast on 738 kHz AM (announcing 406 metres), using a professionally-built 1kW transmitter, and on 93 FM. It closed suddenly on 19^th May 1983, following the raids on Sunshine and Radio Nova. This recording was made from FM on Tuesday 18^th January 1983 between 1730 and 1908 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

6th September 202431st August 2024

Lunchtime on Liberties Local Community Radio

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Liberties Local Community Radio (LLCR) began broadcasting on 4^th April 1986 from the Liberties area of south-central Dublin. Initially community-focused, LLCR later became a popular commercial station that carved out a loyal listenership in the crowded Dublin radio market. Standards varied with some presenters very young and inexperienced but several big names passed through the doors also, including Tony Allen (RIP), Peter Madison (RIP), Kieran Murray and Teena Gates. LLCR went through a number of name changes including Liberties Radio, Liberty Radio and Liberty 104 during its nearly three years on air. Initially on 1035 kHz AM and 96.7 FM locally, the station later moved to 104.5 and 107 FM and extended its coverage across the city. It closed suddenly on December 20^th 1988, more than a week before the deadline imposed by the new broadcasting legislation.

This recording of LLCR was made on Wednesday 9^th July 1986 from 1143-1231 and 1258-1346. Tommy Matthews is the DJ until 1200 and he is followed by John Keogh with the lunchtime show (the label above is inaccurate). There is the usual mix of mostly chart music and chat interspersed by adverts for local businesses, mostly in the Liberties. The first part was recorded from 107.1 FM and the second from 104.5 FM and the tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.