Justin James Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

25th April 202521st April 2025

Sunday on Radio Leinster up to closedown

Radio Leinster was a specialist and talk station broadcasting to Dublin from 1981-1983. The diversity of its programming made it stand out from the dominance of chart music on many pirate stations. This short airchecked recording was made on a Sunday in summer 1982, at which point Radio Leinster had found its feet and was gaining advertisers and listeners. First up is a hoarse Justin James, who was also managing director, with an Elvis Presley show. This is followed by a snippet from the Sunday Scene programme with Paul Kavanagh later that evening. Paul would later to go on to present on Sunshine Radio, where he would become programme director. The recording ends with the closedown of the station for the night, in Irish and English, to the rousing strains of Mise Éire by Seán Ó Riada.

The tape was made from 93.2 FM on 27^th June 1982 by Kieran Murray, and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

11th May 202410th May 2024

Late night on Radio Leinster

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Radio Leinster was an easy-listening and talk-based station broadcasting to the Dublin area in the early 1980s. It launched on 29^th April 1981 and closed suddenly on 19^th May 1983 following the raids on the main Dublin stations Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio. This recording of Late Night Leinster was made about a week before the station left the airwaves and features the managing director Justin James presenting laid-back music. There are few adverts reflecting the time of night and Justin announces that Radio Leinster will close down for the night at 0200.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland collection and was made from 93 FM on Wednesday 11^th May 1983 from 0037 to 0146. Radio Leinster also broadcast on 738 kHz AM, announcing 406 metres medium wave. Its elevated site in Sandyford overlooking the city and professional transmitter gave it good coverage by day but the station suffered co-channel interference after dark.

19th May 20218th May 2024

Radio Leinster closes down suddenly

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Radio Leinster closed unexpectedly just after 1pm on the 19th of May 1983, following the raid on Sunshine Radio that morning and on Radio Nova the previous day. Although almost all stations in Dublin switched off their transmitters on the 19th as fears about raids spread, most were back on air within days but Radio Leinster was never to return. Anna Craig (Chisnall) read the lunchtime news at 1pm and said there would be another bulletin at 3pm but within minutes the closure of the station was announced suddenly by managing director Justin James. The station closed with its signature tune, Seán Ó Riada’s ‘Mise Éire’.

Radio Leinster was an innovative and unique station which aimed at the RTÉ Radio 1 listenership with a mixture of musical styles, talk programmes and specialist shows. It broadcast on 738 kHz am (406 metres) and 93 FM, the signal benefiting considerably from a high site in Sandyford overlooking Dublin.

This recording is courtesy of one of the Radio Leinster presenters, Al Dunne who was on air for the closedown.