Tag: Limerick

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Sound Channel reminisces about 10 years of pirate radio in Limerick

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Sound Channel reminisces about 10 years of pirate radio in Limerick
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 29th December 1988 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.  

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Afternoon Delights on Radio Vera

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Afternoon Delights on Radio Vera
Radio Vera card (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

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 14th November 1988.

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Lunchtime on Big L from Limerick

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Lunchtime on Big L from Limerick
Big L boss Mike Richardson at Christmas 1984 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

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 7th November 1984 and the second part is from the same time on the following day, Thursday 8th 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.

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Summer evening requests on Radio Vera

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Summer evening requests on Radio Vera
Radio Vera flyer from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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).

Summer evening requests on Radio Vera
Original cassette inlay from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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

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Drivetime on Big L from Limerick

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Drivetime on Big L from Limerick
Big L logo (courtesy DX Archive).

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.

Drivetime on Big L from Limerick
Big L studio photo from 1984 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

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.

Drivetime on Big L from Limerick
Original inlay from Anoraks Ireland cassette

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 1605-1650 on Wednesday 12th 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.