Limerick Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

29th July 202629th July 2026

Highlights of Radio West Anoraks Show (1986 & 1987)

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:

2^nd November 1986: Limerick information from a contributor.

16^th November 1986: Limerick information from William Leahy, who went on to a career in RTÉ radio.

30^th November 1986: Galway information from Noel Dooley.

27^th November 1986: Raidió Luimní as heard on 1125 kHz when Radio Carousel was temporarily off the air.

7^th December 1986: Paul Davidson of Anoraks Ireland with information from Limerick, Tipperary and Cork.

7^th December 1986: Sligo information from James Headd.

1^st February 1987: Further Limerick information from William Leahy.

1^st February 1987: Further Galway information from Noel Dooley.

12^th April 1987: Paul Davidson of Anoraks Ireland with information from around the country.

10^th May 1987: Information about Tipperary (Nenagh) from a contributor.

10^th May 1987: Joe Cashin from Kilkenny with local information.

10^th May 1987: Galway and Mayo information from a contributor.

17^th 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.

24^th May 1987: Owen Barry (Larkin) from Zee 103.

24^th 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.

24^th 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.

26^th July 1987: Keith York from Galway about Coast 103.

26^th 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.

22nd June 202621st June 2026

Sound Channel reminisces about 10 years of pirate radio in Limerick

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Sound Channel logo from 1988 (courtesy Andy Carter).

Sound Channel broadcast from Limerick City from 1986-1988, adding the tagline Power 98 in its final six months on air. This recording was made a short time before the station closed down for good at the end of 1988 and includes part of a late-night programme presented by Tom O’Donnell, a stalwart of the Limerick entertainment scene and one half of comedy duo Tom and Paschal. Tom had earlier presented on Big L and would later be heard on Radio Limerick One, a station that lost its licence in 1996 and continued to broadcast as a pirate. In the recording, Tom is joined in studio by local radio anorak Tony Punch and fellow DJs Ger McNamara and George Lee. The second half features a ‘kaleidoscope’ of Limerick pirates from the period 1978-1988, including clips from Sound Channel/Power 98, Independent Radio Limerick, Raidió Luimní, Radio Vera, Big L, Radio Munster, Hits 954, Radio Avalon and Galtee Regional Radio.

No times are noted on the cassette but the recording was made on the evening of Thursday 29^th December 1988 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

30th March 202628th March 2026

Afternoon Delights on Radio Vera

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Radio Vera broadcast from Limerick City from 1987-1988. It was linked to another city station, Radio Munster, that focused on older listeners while Radio Vera chased the younger market. Radio Vera claimed to have coverage over a 50-mile radius of Limerick City, including parts of Clare and Kerry.

This recording is of Francis Jones on the Afternoon Delights show, with a solid gold hour, an 80s music spot and a listeners’ quiz. News on the hour is read by Edwina, there are adverts for businesses around the city and county and several requests come from north Kerry. Francis Jones worked previously with Limerick pirate Big L and Horizon Radio in Kerry. After the pirates, he went on to a career with licensed station Radio Kerry.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 97.7 FM between 1400-1533 on Monday 14^th November 1988.

7th November 202527th October 2025

Lunchtime on Big L from Limerick

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Big L was a long-running station broadcasting from Limerick City from 1978-1985. It occupied various frequencies at the top end of the medium wave band and later expanded its range on FM. By 1984, the station was claiming coverage of most other counties in Munster as well as Limerick. Big L was run by English DJ Mike Richardson (pictured), who went on to set up Kerry pirates WRKY, Horizon Radio and Rocky 103 and was also involved in Galway station Twiggs FM.

This recording of Big L is from two days in November 1984, as the station approached its final Christmas. On air is Francis Jones with the lunchtime programme, using the strapline ‘Big L Radio Limerick – the stereo sound of Munster’. There is a quiz to win tickets for a local gig and plenty of requests and dedications, many from kids rushing back to school after their lunch break. A run-down of programmes later that day gives a sense of the diversity on Big L at the time. Adverts are heard for local businesses and some larger brands. Francis Jones continues to broadcast to this day on the licensed station Radio Kerry.

The first half of the recording was made from 98.3 FM between 1303-1348 on Wednesday 7^th November 1984 and the second part is from the same time on the following day, Thursday 8^th November. At this time, Big L also broadcast on 91.7 and 104.2 FM and 1560 kHz AM (off-channel), announcing 194 metres. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

30th August 202429th August 2024

Summer evening requests on Radio Vera

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Radio Vera (1987-1988) was one of many stations broadcasting from Limerick during the pirate era. Its roots were in another Limerick pirate, Radio Munster, and both pirates shared a premises in the city centre. On air for a little over a year, Radio Vera aimed at younger listeners whereas Radio Munster concentrated on an older demographic. It claimed to be reaching a large area of the southwest of Ireland on FM.

This recording of Radio Vera was made in the summer of 1988 and features an evening show of chart music and requests presented by Peter Gregory, who worked previously on West Country Radio in Abbeyfeale, west Co. Limerick. There are news headlines, a rock trivia slot and adverts for local business along with an advertising promo featuring the voice of station founder Will Rogers (aka Bernard Rooney).

The tape was made from 97.7 FM from 1853-1940 on Tuesday 21^st June 1988 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.