Fionnuala Sweeney Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

10th March 202518th February 2025

Breakfast Club on Nova Power 103 FM

This is a snippet from the Breakfast Club on the short-lived Nova Power 103 FM, a merger of the ‘new’ Radio Nova and existing Dublin pirate Energy 103 in late 1987. Sounding crisp and professional are Cassidy Jones, Lisa Moore (Fionnuala Sweeney) and Bob Gallico (RIP) with a mixture of music, chat, papers, sports and news. On a freezing Friday morning in Dublin, Bob Gallico presents the review of the papers and shares his racing tips for the day, while Lisa reads news. The familiar high-level adverts are heard, including for brands, and the classic Nova jingles are played, creating something of an identity problem as they differ from the station’s name. Although Nova founder Chris Cary had promised new jingles on the day the merger was announced (25^th November), there was not enough time to complete the imaging of the new station as it was promptly prevented by an interlocutory injunction from using the valuable Nova name, and eventually reverted to Energy Power 103, as in the image above.

This recording was made by Kieran Murray between 0728-0748 on 27^th November 1987 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. It is not clear if it was made from 99.9 or 103 FM.

3rd March 202517th February 2025

Chris Cary interviewed on new Nova Power 103 FM

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After testing for several days, at midnight on 9^th November 1987, a new station began broadcasting continuous CD music on 100 FM in Dublin. On 18^th November, the station announced itself as the ‘New Radio Nova’, rocking the Dublin pirate scene as it approached its final golden year of 1988. It was an ironic coincidence that the Minister for Communications, Ray Burke, published his new Broadcasting and Wireless Telegraphy Bill and Sound Broadcasting Bill the following day, 19^th November, aimed at closing down the pirates and introducing licensed local radio. On 25^th November came another dramatic announcement as existing station Energy 103 announced that it was merging with the new Radio Nova in light of the impending broadcasting legislation. The merged station was called Nova Power 103 FM and founder of the original Nova, Chris Cary (RIP), was involved, ostensibly as a consultant. This was to the consternation of many in Dublin who had been burned by Cary’s brash managerial style, particularly advertisers who lost money after the collapse of the station in 1986 and journalists and their union involved in the bitter industrial relations dispute with Nova.

In line with the new legislation, Nova Power 103 promised plenty of news and current affairs and revived the Dublin Today programme that was aired on the original Radio Nova. However, the new name was short-lived, when the receiver of Nova Media Services, Pearse Farrell, sought an interlocutory injunction preventing use of the Nova brand. According to Peter Mulryan in Radio Radio (1988), Farrell was also concerned about some activities of the bankrupt company and did not want to allow Cary to use the high-profile Nova name with licences in the offing. Within a few weeks, Nova Power 103 had reverted to Energy 103, which continued to broadcast until 11^th March 1988.

This recording of Nova Power 103 was made on its first day and features an interview with Chris Cary on the Dublin Today programme, discussing his plans for the new station. Presenters of Dublin Today are Sybil Fennell and Teena Gates, and news at 1900 is read by Lisa Moore (Fionnuala Sweeney, who would later join RTÉ and CNN). The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 100 FM between 1850-1905 on 25^th November 1987.

17th June 20243rd June 2024

Charity fundraising weekend on KISS FM

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Over the St. Patrick’s weekend 1986, Dublin station KISS FM (1985-1986) organised a charity fundraiser for the Irish Society for Autistic Children. Listeners were invited to pledge £1 or more and station DJs collected money on the streets of Dublin near the KISS FM studios in Foley Street in the north inner city. The highlight of the weekend was a disco dancing marathon at the nearby North Star Hotel.

This airchecked recording includes live links with station manager David Baker from the city centre, using what seems to be first generation of mobile telephony in Ireland. David refers to the imminent arrival of an outside broadcasting unit from Radio West in Mullingar but for the moment, listeners have to tolerate telephonic audio quality. There are links with the disco event in the nearby North Star Hotel, presumably using an FM or VHF link, and plenty of interactions with listeners. Other voices heard are Colm Mooney, Gareth Scully, Bryan Lambert, Clem Francis, Suzanne Duffy, Keith Shanley and Rachel Walsh (aka Fionnuala Sweeney, who went on to bigger pirates and eventually RTÉ and CNN). The recording also includes occasional snippets from Radio Nova, which would close down a few days later.

The tape was made on Sunday 16^th March 1986, presumably from KISS FM’s main transmitter on 104.1 FM although no frequency is logged. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

10th June 20243rd June 2024

KISS FM prepares for charity fundraiser

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Countless Irish pirates were called KISS FM in the 1980s and 1990s, including a station based in Foley Street in Dublin’s north inner city for about 18 months in 1985 and 1986. This KISS FM had its origins in Dublin Community Radio, set up in 1984 in nearby North Frederick Street. The new station was owned by two German businessmen and was managed by Dublin pirate stalwart David Baker. KISS FM aimed for high production standards and carved out its own corner in the competitive Dublin radio market, going through a number of format changes during its short time on air. On 3^rd October 1986, KISS FM was the first Irish pirate to be raided in several years as a result of complaints due to interference and it closed down shortly afterwards.

One highlight of KISS FM’s time on air was its charity campaign on behalf of the Irish Society for Autistic Children over St. Patrick’s weekend 1986, which culminated in a disco dance marathon in the North Star Hotel around the corner from the station. This recording gives a sense of the lead-up to the charity weekend with David Baker doing live link-ups from the streets of Dublin in an attempt to drum up support for the charity fundraiser. Audio quality on the links is poor to fair at best and it sounds as if the first generation of mobile phone technology was used (Telecom Éireann had established the Eircell network the previous December). An interesting aspect of the recording is the re-cut of an ARD ident from the late 1970s, itself based on a jingle from KACY 1520 in California. KISS FM’s AM frequency at the time was 1116 kHz, announced as 273 metres.

Other voices include DJ Gareth Scully and newsreaders Rachel Walsh and Maurice Nevin (RIP). Rachel Walsh, whose real name is Fionnuala Sweeney, went on to other larger pirates and eventually a career in RTÉ and CNN. Another feature of note is the occasional jingle or insert from other pirates including Radio Nova, which was on the verge of closing down. This fact is mentioned in one of the KISS FM news bulletins, which regrets the departure of Nova from the Dublin radio scene.

This airchecked recording tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection and was made on Tuesday 11^th and Friday 14^th March 1986. No frequency is noted but presumably the tape was recorded from 104.1 FM. KISS FM also broadcast on 94.8 FM and on AM.