Leon Tipler Collection Archives - Page 4 of 14 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

18th September 20239th September 2023

Radio West closes down for the night

Finding suitable frequencies on the crowded AM band of the 1980s was one of the technical challenges facing the Irish pirates and the story of Radio West is a case in point. The midlands station began on 1071 kHz in 1982 before moving to 702 kHz and then 729 kHz, a bad choice given the presence of RTÉ’s Cork opt-out service on the same frequency. Radio West switched to 765 kHz on 27^th June 1983, increasing its range within Ireland and beyond. From 1986-1988, it returned to 702 kHz, rebranding itself as ‘West National Radio 3’ and claiming national coverage on AM and a series of FM transmitters.

This tape was made from 765 kHz in the early hours of Saturday 9^th July 1983 and features the closedown of Radio West for the night. The unidentified DJ signs off in both Irish and English and then plays the iconic Desiderata song, also used by Sunshine Radio in Dublin at closedown each night. The broadcast ends with the national anthem.

There is plenty of fading as would be expected in late-night DX reception outside the core transmission area. The recording was made in the English midlands and is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

9th June 20237th June 2023

’88 News’ on Radio Nova in 1981

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This snippet of Radio Nova from 1981 gives a sense of the super-pirate after its first few months on air. Beginning testing on FM only at the start of June that year, Nova shook up the Dublin market due to its distinctive sound, professional standards and most importantly the significant investment of station founder and owner Chris Cary. The tape includes station idents and jingles, an advert for upmarket newspaper The Sunday Tribune and the ’88 News’ presented by Sybil Fennell. The news branding reflected Nova’s prioritisation of high quality stereo FM at a time when RTÉ’s use of the superior quality band was limited. In fact, the station did not begin broadcasting on AM until just a few days before this tape was made, adding a 10 kW transmitter on 846 kHz.

This airchecked recording was made from 88.5 FM on 13^th September 1981 by British radio enthusiast Leon Tipler during one of his many visits to Dublin in the early part of that decade. It is kindly donated by Steve England.

3rd June 20236th June 2023

Religious programme on Radio Leinster

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Radio Leinster was a specialist Dublin station with an easy listening and talk format in contrast with the diet of pop preferred by most pirates. It broadcast from 29^th April 1981 until 19^th May 1983, closing down suddenly as panic spread following the raids on super-pirates Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio. Radio Leinster was situated on an elevated site in Sandyford with an excellent view of the city from its studios. The professionally-made 1 kW transmitter on 738 kHz (406 metres) gave good coverage by day but suffered co-channel interference after dark.

This short recording from Sunday 13^th September 1981 features part of a religious programme presented by Fr. Michael Conaghty, who reads headlines from the Catholic Universe. Some of Radio Leinster’s distinctive interval signals are also heard. The clip was recorded in Malahide, north Co. Dublin and is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

8th March 202310th March 2023

Sunday on Radio Valleri International

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Radio Valleri was a pioneering pirate station broadcasting from Dublin in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the early hobby operations in the city, it was set up in 1972 by Derek Jones and Mike Anderson and broadcast initially on medium wave from a garden shed in Drumcondra. In 1973, Radio Valleri switched to shortwave and was heard sporadically, often on Sunday mornings, on various frequencies in the 49-metre band over the following years. In the 1980s, the station became one of many to broadcast regularly on shortwave on Sunday mornings, by which time it had settled on 6400 kHz.

This tape is of one of Radio Valleri’s founders, Mike Anderson, with a Sunday show from 1200-1300 in April 1986 (the precise date is unknown). Mike announces broadcasting hours of 0900-1300 and gives a postal address in Baldoyle in northeast Dublin. That broadcast is to be followed by a QSO with another well-known Dublin shortwave pirate, Westside Radio, and Weekend Music Radio in Scotland.

The recording is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

24th December 202214th November 2023

Centre Radio on Christmas Eve 1986

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Of the many pirates in the decade 1978-1988, Centre Radio was not well known beyond its immediate area in northeast Dublin but it is an important part of the history of Pirate.ie because both co-founders of this site were involved with it. Brian Greene, known as Bobby Gibbson on air, was one of those who started Centre Radio on 19^th December 1986 at the Baldoyle Youth Club in Dublin 13 and John Walsh was also involved. Reflecting the young age of the DJs, Centre Radio was only on air during school holidays in 1986 and 1987 but began daily broadcasting in spring 1988. It closed at midnight on New Year’s Eve that year.

Centre Radio broadcast on several frequencies on the FM band during its two years on air, beginning with 88 MHz during its first outing at the end of 1986. In this recording from Christmas Eve that year, Eric Delaney is on air and is followed by Brian Greene at 9pm. Adverts for local businesses are also heard. Another familiar name on radio in this part of Dublin, Derek Jones, is to take over from 11pm.

Our tape was recorded from 2020-2105 on December 24^th 1986 and is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.