Kieran Murray Archives - Page 2 of 7 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

5th June 20247th June 2024

Northeast series: FRC show #9 on Radio Rainbow International

Radio Rainbow letterhead (courtesy Ian Biggar).

This is edition #9 of the Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show on Co. Louth shortwave station Radio Rainbow International. Presenter Kieran Murray announces that the station was off the air the previous Sunday because of poor conditions on shortwave and work on the transmitter. He says that the FRC is being relayed on stations in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. Listeners’ letters come from the UK and the Netherlands and the weekly 5 minutes of jingles includes pirates and licensed stations. The station feature comprises an interview with Kenny Everett of Capitol Radio and BBC Radio 1 and excerpts from Capitol Radio in London. The FRC newsdesk covers offshore and Irish pirates and includes a reference to the introduction of compact discs on Q102, sponsored by Sony. Radio Nova is reported to be considering a name change in the next fortnight due to a fall in advertising revenue. On March 19^th, Radio Nova would close down, to be replaced by Zoom 103.

This recording is a studio copy and from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. It was made on Sunday 9^th March 1986 from 1100-1200. Radio Rainbow International broadcast on 6240 kHz shortwave.

29th May 202412th May 2024

Northeast series: FRC show #7 on Radio Rainbow International

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Radio Rainbow International (1985-1988) was a high-powered shortwave station broadcasting from Co. Louth. Set up by Eddie Caffrey of Boyneside Radio, it also involved other Boyneside DJs Jim Agnew and Kieran Murray, who presented a weekly Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show. This recording of edition #7 of the FRC features listeners’ letters from the UK, 5 minutes of jingles from offshore stations, a feature on Sussex station Automatic Radio and promos for Anoraks UK.

This studio copy of the show is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made on Sunday 16^th February 1986 from 1100-1200. There is some wobble due to cassette degradation and the show is truncated because the cassette jammed and it was not possible to complete digitisation. Radio Rainbow International broadcast initially on 6240 kHz shortwave in the 48-metre band, before adding medium wave and FM transmitters.

8th May 20241st May 2024

Northeast series: 1st birthday of Radio Rainbow International

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Radio Rainbow International was a high-powered shortwave station broadcasting from Co. Louth between 1985-1988. It was set up by the engineer of Boyneside Radio, Eddie Caffrey and other Boyneside presenters were also involved. Radio Rainbow was the highest powered of the shortwave pirates from Ireland and broadcast every Sunday morning across Europe on 6240 kHz in the 48-metre band, later adding medium wave and FM.

On Sunday 27^th July 1986, Radio Rainbow International celebrated a year on the air, complete with cake and champagne in the studio. This recording opens with the final 15 minutes of a special celebratory show from 1145-1200 on that date presented by Eddie Caffrey, who is joined by fellow DJs Jim Agnew and Kieran Murray. They estimate that up to 350 reception reports have been received in the station’s first year, the furthest of which came from Finland. Kieran Murray looks back at the popular weekly Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show, that has been running since January. This is followed by Jim Agnew’s music show on the same date. There are no times, but it seems it was broadcast before the special birthday programme. The recording includes promos for Anoraks UK and a multilingual ident.

At this time, Radio Rainbow International broadcast on 6240 kHz, but this is a stereo studio copy. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection.

26th February 202425th February 2024

Tony Allan interviewed at Sunshine Radio

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Tony Allan (RIP) was one of the most iconic voices of Irish pirate radio in the 1970s and 1980s. He presented on many larger stations and was heard doing voiceovers on countless other pirates throughout the country. In this recording, he is interviewed by Kieran Murray of the Free Radio Campaign Ireland outside the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock in north Co. Dublin, where Sunshine Radio was located. The station had started broadcasting less than two months previously on 29^th September 1980, its launch delayed by the sabotaging of its aerial, allegedly by a rival Dublin pirate. Tony refuses to speculate about the incident and instead emphasises the professionalism of Sunshine in contrast to existing Dublin stations. He also talks about his background in the offshore station Radio Caroline.

The interview was conducted on 16^th November 1980 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

5th February 202426th February 2024

Lunchtime on Liberty Radio

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Liberty Radio, also known as Liberty 104, was established as a serious player in the tight Dublin market by the beginning of 1988. Launched as Liberties Local Community Radio in spring 1986, the station moved away from its community focus and began a more commercial operation. This recording from the end of 1987 includes plenty of adverts in the pre-Christmas rush, including one for Prendergast Aerials, a company owned by station boss Sammy Prendergast. Of interest is a promo for a Christmas toy appeal in association with Fr Michael Cleary, a Catholic priest who broadcast on various pirate stations.

The cassette inlay lists the DJ as Ian Scott, formerly of Boyneside Radio in Drogheda but the presenter is in fact Mark Grace. News is read by Kieran Murray, who also worked previously with Boyneside and Radio Carousel. The recording was made on Thursday 3^rd December 1987 from 104.35 FM from 1123-1300 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.