Limerick Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

30th August 202429th August 2024

Summer evening requests on Radio Vera

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.

21st June 202414th June 2024

Drivetime on Big L from Limerick

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Big L was one of the longer-running pirates from Limerick City, broadcasting from 1978 until 1985. It was set up by English DJ Mike Richardson and Hayman Harris (a nephew of actor Richard Harris) and based in Ellen Street in the city centre. The station was raided shortly after its launch in June 1978 but returned to the air and consolidated its audience and advertisers over time. The station occupied various frequencies towards the top end of the medium wave band and later added FM. An article in the Limerick Echo in August 1984 claimed that with four transmitters, Big L covered an area of a quarter of a million people in Limerick, Clare, Kerry, Tipperary and Cork. However, by April 1985 Big L had closed down, bringing almost seven years of broadcasting to an end. A more detailed station history written by Mike Richardson is available h ere.

This recording of Big L was made in the run-up to its final Christmas in 1984 and features part of the afternoon drivetime show with Liam Ahern. Music is a mixture of chart, oldies and ballads and adverts from Limerick City and surrounding towns are heard. There are some technical issues during the programme and crackle is audible on the FM reception.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 1605-1650 on Wednesday 12^th December 1984 from 102 FM. A log from around the same time listed Big L on 1560 kHz AM (off-channel) and 91.7, 98.3 and 104.2 FM.

27th May 202427th May 2024

Lunchtime on Radio Phoenix from Limerick

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Radio Phoenix was a small Limerick station broadcasting in 1984 and 1985 and linked to other later similar pirates in the city. In a report by Tony Donlon for Contact magazine from the World DX Club on 28^th January 1985, Radio Phoenix is listed on 99.4 FM with broadcasting hours from 0730-0000. Tony wrote that the station had previously operated for around eight months as Radio Ormond in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary (November 1983 to end of September 1984). Radio Phoenix went through several name changes over the years including the Limerick Broadcasting Corporation (LBC), Munster Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Stereo Radio Munster. In his list of 18^th April 1986 in Contact, Tony Donlon includes LBC on 95.5 and 98.5 FM with an address at Blackboy House, Mulgrave Street, Limerick. In a letter to Ian Biggar on 2^nd August 1986, Tony wrote that the Munster Broadcasting Corporation had a notorious habit of changing name, previously calling themselves LBC, Nova Limerick and much earlier Radio Phoenix.

The man behind all of these stations was Bernard Rooney, who called himself Will Rogers on air. This recording of Radio Phoenix was made from 99.3 FM on Wednesday 12^th December 1984 from 1310-1355 and features Will Rogers himself in his usual lunchtime slot. An AM frequency of 1560 kHz or 190 metres is also announced, but this was in fact the spot claimed by rival Limerick station Big L at the same time. There is no log of Radio Phoenix on anything other than FM so the claim to be on AM also may have been wishful thinking.

This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection. Thanks to Ian Biggar for background information.

13th December 20238th December 2023

Late night requests on Radio Vera from Limerick

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Radio Vera was a Limerick station broadcasting towards the end of the 1980s pirate era. Launched in late 1987, it was linked to an existing city station, Radio Munster with which it shared a building in William Street. Radio Vera aimed its programmes at the 15-34 age cohort, featuring pop music, chat, news, sports and local interviews. It claimed to be one of the few Limerick stations available over a 50-mile radius around Limerick City and its advertising brochures included maps covering most of the southwest of Ireland. Radio Vera closed at the end of 1988 along with other pirate stations.

This tape was made from 97.7 FM on 14^th November 1988 from 2230-2307 and features Jeff Graham with a late-night requests show. News at the top of the hour is read by Edwina and adverts cover Limerick and north Kerry. The recording is of fair reception quality as it was made outside the core broadcasting area. We thank John Breslin for the donation.

16th June 202325th May 2024

Summer sounds on Munster Broadcasting Corporation

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The Munster Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) was one of the smaller Limerick pirates, broadcasting in 1986. Despite the gradiose name, the station was situated in a tiny loft room on Catherine Street in the city centre. It claimed coverage of counties Limerick, Clare and Tipperary on various FM frequencies, but most of the advertisements were from Limerick City itself. This recording from July 1986 features the lunchtime show with current pop hits presented by Will Rogers, who had one of the stranger mid-Atlantic accents of the pirate era. He also features on many of the adverts. MBC was relaunched as Stereo Radio Munster in 1987.

The tape may have been recorded from one of the Limerick City frequencies, 95.9 or 98.6 FM. There is no date but Part 1 above runs from 1304-1349 and Part 2 below from 1351-1437.

Part 2 from 1351.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.