Eamonn Kelly Archives - 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.

22nd July 202422nd July 2024

Evening drive on love songs station Cara 95

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Cara 95 was a temporary name change to the Dublin love songs station Heartbeat FM (1986-1988). Heartbeat launched in November 1986 and quickly made a mark in the Dublin market with its popular musical diet. The station was rebranded as Cara 95 in 1987 but soon reverted to Heartbeat because listeners preferred the original name. Heartbeat closed at the end of 1988 but returned in the 1990s as a pirate and eventually as a temporary licensed station in the 2000s. It is now an online statio n.

This recording of the short-lived Cara 95 features part of the Friday evening drivetime show presented by Eamonn Kelly, who had previously been heard on other pirates in Dublin and Cork. The laid-back music is interspersed with jingles and idents for ‘Cara 95 – the heartbeat of Dublin City’, a nod to the original name. There is also a paperback writers’ slot and a cinema review, along with a competition to win tickets to see 95 movies. Adverts are for local businesses around the city and include the Sunday World newspaper, a frequent advertiser on the pirates. News on the hour is read by the late Maurice Nevin.

The recording was made from 95.5 FM on Friday 25^th September 1987 from 1759-1931 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

1st March 202425th February 2024

Afternoon shows on Echo Community Radio

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Echo Community Radio was a shortlived pirate broadcasting from Blanchardstown in west Dublin in 1985. This recording from a Wednesday afternoon in August that year begins with a mix of chart music and olders tunes with Ben Thomas. There are adverts for local businesses, some voiced by DJ Lee, a well-known presenter who worked on several Dublin pirates. A series of British comedy inserts sounds out of place between the songs and isn’t helped by muffled sound. Next up is Eamonn Kelly, who worked previously and subsequently on larger and more professional stations in Cork and Dublin.

The tape was made from 1407-1452 and from 1517-1604 on Wednesday 7^th August 1985. Although recorded from 105.5 FM, audio quality is poor with some distortion. Echo Community Broadcasting was also heard on 1071 kHz AM, announcing 280 metres. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection.

25th December 202214th November 2023

Christmas Night on Q102

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This recording of Dublin super-pirate Q102 is from Christmas Night 1986. It begins with Eamonn Kelly who is finishing up a marathon 6-hour shift. Talk is limited reflecting the station’s format and the day that’s in it, and there are just a few requests for listeners and a weather bulletin. An advert for the 1987 Q102 diary is heard and the top-of-the-hour promo is sponsored by Sony. Eamonn is followed at midnight by Ken Harley, who is facing into another 6-hour show.

Part 1 of the recording above runs from 2231-2319 and Part 2 below from 2349-0037.

Part 2 from 2349.

Eamonn was heard previously on Cork stations WBEN and ERI and KISS FM in Foley Street in Dublin. Ken also worked on Big D, ARD, Radio Leinster and Radio Nova, and had previously made adverts for Nova in Bay City Studios. Listen to an interview with him here.

The recording was made from 103.5 FM on December 25^th and 26^th 1986 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

24th October 202226th May 2024

Cut Price Gold competition on KISS FM

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One of the many stations called KISS FM during the pirate era was based in Foley Street in the north inner city of Dublin and broadcast from May 1985 until October 1986. This KISS FM was owned by two German businessmen based in Cavan and managed by well-known broadcaster David Baker. The station had promise and many professional DJs, including Eamonn Kelly who is heard in this recording presenting the drivetime show on 19^th December 1985. Eamonn was heard previously on other big stations such as ERI in Cork and Q102 in Dublin. In recent years, he has worked with Smooth Radio in the UK. KISS FM closed following a raid in October 1986, an event documented in detail in the book Radio Radio by Peter Mulryan (1988).

The show includes a competition for jewellery from Cut Price Gold who were heavily advertising on KISS FM at the time. Another interesting feature is the impressive range of adverts including local shops, larger businesses including McDonald’s, Penney’s, Philips audio, Cadbury’s, drinks companies and various record releases. Traffic news is courtesy of a courier company and ‘Associated Network News’ is read by Noelle Hayes.

Audio quality on the recording is fair. It sounds more like AM but the station’s 1116 kHz AM transmitter was shortlived and probably off-air at this time. The cassette label mentions 104.1 FM in mono (94 and 104.7 are announced on air). The times logged are incorrect: Part 1 above runs from 1616-1701 and Part 2 below from 1710-1755.

Part 2 from 1710

This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.