Radio West offices in 1987 (courtesy Andy Carter).
This recording of the weekly Radio West Anoraks’ Show dates from summer 1987. Presented by station boss Shaun Coyne and Don Allen (RIP), it begins with a discussion of surveys of pirate radio listenership. Radio West’s new AM frequency is about to go live on 711 kHz in Galway and there are plans for a promotional campaign in the city and county. In other news from Galway, WLS is off the air following a dispute. Other stations mentioned include KTOK in Donegal, Longford Community Radio, Kandy Radio, Power 102 and the new pirate Independent Radio Mayo. There is also speculation about forthcoming changes in the Irish media landscape as the government discusses licensing of independent radio and television.
The partially airchecked recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 702 kHz AM on Sunday, 28th June 1987 from 1045-1145.
Radio West’s AM site at Tyrrellspass in 1987 (courtesy Andy Carter).
This recording of Radio West from summer 1987 begins with the end of Don Allen’s easy listening programme just before the weekly Anoraks’ Show presented by Don and Radio West boss Shaun Coyne. There are the usual letters from listeners, one asking for an exchange of pirate recordings and another providing a report from Dublin. From Scotland, Jock Wilson of Radio Stella International is looking for someone to operate a 200w shortwave transmitter in Ireland and is interviewed on the programme.
Shaun Coyne comments on the busy pirate scene in London where raids take place a few times a week. He also announces that Radio West is to return on high-powered FM in Dublin and is planning to install a transmitter in Galway. There are round-ups from around the country and a promise to publish an anoraks’ magazine, which never materialised. A promo for Anoraks Ireland is voiced by David Baker.
The recording from the Anoraks Ireland Collection was made from 702 kHz AM on Sunday 21st June 1987 between 1045-1145 and is partially airchecked. There is some cassette wobble at the start and reception is consistent with a daytime groundwave signal as heard in Dublin.
This edition of the Radio West Anoraks Show from Mullingar was made just as legislation to legalise radio in Ireland was brought before the Oireachtas. The topic dominated the discussion on the show that week, with station boss Shaun Coyne giving his views and co-presenter Neil McLeod struggling to get a word in. Leading Cork station ERI is reported to be upgrading its studios in the hope of getting a licence under the new regime and Radio Nova is poised to make a high-profile return in Dublin. There is also an interview with Eddie Caffrey of Boyneside Radio, who speculates that pirates along the border could be raided because of the addition of high-powered transmitters. Shaun Coyne also announces that Radio West will go off the air for a few moments at 1800 that evening in memory of the victims of the Enniskillen bomb, which exploded the previous weekend.
The airchecked recording was made in Britain from 702 kHz AM between 1045-1130 on Sunday 15th November 1987. It is from the Leon Tipler Collection, donated by Steve England.
Shaun Coyne at Radio West in 1986 (courtesy Andy Carter).
The weekly Radio West Anoraks’ Show from Mullingar was essential listening for radio enthusiasts far and near. Fronted by station boss Shaun Coyne, it was unscripted and unpredictable and relied heavily on juicy gossip and rumours about the pirate radio scene. Shaun was joined by another presenter each week – including the late Don Allen – but the second person often struggled to get a word in.
This recording contains highlights of the Anoraks’ Show from 1986 and 1987, with a focus on stations outside Dublin, in particular the west and southwest. It captures the rivalry and volatility in the pirate radio world as well as the continued dominance of AM outside Dublin well into the 1980s. The list of snippets is as follows:
2nd November 1986: Limerick information from a contributor.
16th November 1986: Limerick information from William Leahy, who went on to a career in RTÉ radio.
30th November 1986: Galway information from Noel Dooley.
27th November 1986: Raidió Luimní as heard on 1125 kHz when Radio Carousel was temporarily off the air.
7th December 1986: Paul Davidson of Anoraks Ireland with information from Limerick, Tipperary and Cork.
7th December 1986: Sligo information from James Headd.
1st February 1987: Further Limerick information from William Leahy.
1st February 1987: Further Galway information from Noel Dooley.
12th April 1987: Paul Davidson of Anoraks Ireland with information from around the country.
10th May 1987: Information about Tipperary (Nenagh) from a contributor.
10th May 1987: Joe Cashin from Kilkenny with local information.
10th May 1987: Galway and Mayo information from a contributor.
17th May 1987: Promo for interview with Owen Barry (Larkin) from Zee 103, who went on to work in Century Radio and Downtown Radio in Belfast.
24th May 1987: Owen Barry (Larkin) from Zee 103.
24th May 1987: Don Allen jokes about a statute being put up in honour of Heady Eddie (Eddie Caffrey), pioneer of pirate radio in Co. Louth.
24th May 1987: Nigel Gordon with Kildare information (Naas).
Undated 1987: Interview with Scottish anorak Jock Wilson of Radio Stella International who wishes to broadcast on shortwave from the Republic of Ireland.
26th July 1987: Keith York from Galway about Coast 103.
26th July 1987: David Baker from KLAS in Dublin about his recent short stint on offshore station Radio Caroline.
The recordings were made from 702 kHz AM in Scotland by Ian Biggar. DX groundwave reception by day meant variable audio quality due to the distance from Mullingar.
The Victor Hotel in Dún Laoghaire, home to Southside from 1980 (courtesy DX Archive).
An early pioneer in news for radio anoraks was the weekly Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show on Southside Radio from Dún Laoghaire in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Presented by Marc Boland, it was often relayed on shortwave pirate Westside Radio International. This short recording of the end of one edition of the FRC from 1981 includes correspondence from a listener in Leeds who wants to swap recordings of pirate stations from both sides of the Irish Sea.
The tape was made from 999 kHz AM (300 metres) on Sunday 29th March 1981 between 1248-1930 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.
