Radio North Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

5th March 202520th February 2025

Border series: Radio North returns to the air in 1989

Radio North from Co. Donegal is one of Ireland’s longest-running pirate stations, operating under various guises more or less continuously from 1986 to the current day. It began broadcasting from Carndonagh on the Inishowen peninsula on 18^th November 1986 on 1386 kHz, later moving to 1404. By mid-1987, it had moved to the clearer channel of 846 kHz, which gave it better coverage over a wider area.

Radio North closed down along with the vast majority of the other pirate stations on 31^st December 1988 but its frequencies were not silent for long. The station was among a handful of pirates to defy the new broadcasting laws and continue broadcasting in 1989. Radio North returned on tape on 5^th January 1989 and resumed live programmes the following day on 97.9 FM and 846 kHz AM putting out its usually good signal into Britain, according to the Anoraks UK Weekly Report. Promos were aired to raise funds for the station’s court case against the 1988 legislation with £30,000 required, £10,000 of which would be provided by Radio North. Adverts from both sides of the border were plentiful but an address in Ballymoney in Co. Antrim was used for advertising in order to circumvent the provisions of the new laws banning advertising on pirate radio in the Republic.

This recording was made from 1005-1155 on Sunday 8^th January 1989, just three days after Radio North returned to the air. DJ James plays a mixture of country, oldies and pop and there are requests and adverts from both sides of the border along with an appeal for donations to help the station fight the new broadcasting legislation in the High Court. The recording was made in Scotland and reception is fair with some electrical interference as would be expected given the distance from the broadcast site. We thank Ian Biggar for the donation.

14th February 202520th February 2025

Border series: Radio North closes down at end of 1988,

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Along with the vast majority of the other pirates, the Donegal station Radio North closed down at the end of 1988 in compliance with new broadcasting legislation. This recording of the final hour of Radio North on New Year’s Eve is presented by Mickey Henry who shares many requests from loyal listeners on both sides of the border, including one who has recorded most of the shows for posterity. Other presenters join Mickey in studio and there is a supportive phone call from neighbouring pirate Donegal Community Radio (DCR).

The closedown speech just before midnight is read by station manager Francis Callaghan, who thanks everyone involved over the previous two years. Although the transmitter is about to be switched off, he hints that more is to come when he says that Radio North will be bigger and better than ever in 1989.

The recording was made by Rodney Neill from 98 FM between 2302-0000 on December 31^st 1988 and is courtesy of DX Archive. Within days, Radio North would return to the airwaves.

5th February 202520th February 2025

Border series: More early Radio North from Donegal

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This is another early recording of the long-running Donegal pirate Radio North shortly after its launch in the winter of 1986. On air is ex-Voice of Peace DJ Mark Warner with a morning musical mix of folk, oldies, country and some pop. The first adverts for local businesses are aired in the busy pre-Christmas period. An advertising promo for the station mentions businesses in Northern Ireland, where Radio North always had a following. News is read by former Radio Caroline DJ Ian Akers.

The recording was made on 9^th December 1986 from 98 FM between 0918-1020. Radio North also broadcast on 1404 kHz AM at this time, before moving to the clearer frequency of 846 kHz in 1987. Thanks to Ian Biggar for the donation.

29th January 202520th February 2025

Border series: early recording of Radio North

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We’re delighted to launch a new strand in our border series, this time focusing on one of Ireland’s longest-running pirate stations, Radio North from Co. Donegal. Broadcasting under various names more or less continuously since 1986, Radio North continues to operate today on 846 kHz AM and online. The station was launched on 18^th November 1986 from Carndonagh on the Inishowen peninsula, a short distance from the border with Co. Derry and throughout its almost 40-year existence, has aimed at listeners in Northern Ireland.

The arrival of Radio North was reported by Anoraks UK in its Weekly Report of 23^rd November, which referred to the ‘radio explosion’ in Donegal such was the number of pirates based there. Anoraks UK said the station was easily audible on 1386 kHz in Blackpool during early morning skywave conditions but was swamped by foreign stations after dark. Within 3 days, the frequency had changed to 1404 kHz which improved daytime listening but was still prone to night-time interference. Among the better-known names in the line-up were Australian Mark Warner, who had done a stint on the Voice of Peace, and English DJ Ian Akers, formerly of Radio Caroline. There was an hourly news service from 0800 to 1800 and 3 FM frequencies were also noted (the main one on 98.1 with link frequencies on 100.1 and 103).

The Weekly Report of 30^th November noted that although 1404 kHz was an improvement, night-time interference was still audible even within the service area. Reflecting the crowded AM band of the 1980s, it added: ‘Clearish night-time channels are just about nonexistent, and at this time of year, interference can be terrible at times, even a few miles from the transmitter’. In 1987, Radio North moved to the vastly superior frequency of 846 kHz, where it remains to this day. In a letter to Ian Biggar in January 1987, Mark Warner wrote that he had joined Radio North because the owner wanted someone with experience to run the station. However, Mark did not have confidence in the owner and moved to a rival Donegal station, Northwest Community Radio, before the end of 1986, following a botched attempt to takeover Radio North.

Our first recording was made just a few days after the launch of Radio North and features Ian Akers presenting a drivetime show with a mixture of country and pop music. The postal address of Bridge Street, Carndonagh is read out and there are several requests from listeners. News is read by Mark Warner but there are no adverts. The recording was made 23^rd November 1986 between 1600-1649 from 98 FM and is courtesy of Ian Biggar. Audio quality is mostly good but there are crackles in places as if from electrical interference.

27th October 20234th January 2024

Death of Radio North operator, Paul Barnett

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It is with great sadness that we learned today of the death of Paul Barnett, aka Paul Burbank or Paul Bentley following a battle with cancer. Paul was the operator of long-running AM pirate Radio North from Donegal and previously ran another station from that county, WABC. We thank Ian Biggar for writing this tribute for Pirate.ie.

I first got in contact with Paul in late 1987 when I heard his station, WABC on 107 FM back home in the west of Scotland. I received a friendly letter from Paul giving full details of his radio station that was broadcasting from north Donegal. Paul was from Mansfield in the English midlands and had moved with his Irish-born wife and family to set up a business in Coleraine. With Paul’s background in pirate radio it was a given that he would start a station and thus WABC was born, aiming its signal towards Coleraine and the Causeway coast.

WABC built up a strong audience over the next year, but like others had to close with the introduction of the broadcasting bill in Ireland on 31st December 1988. However, with the continuation of Radio North, Paul took the initiative and put WABC back on the air in mid June 1989. The station was now located in the family home in Greencastle.

We visited the station in May 1990 when Paul was running two formats, namely WABC Gold on 101.2 MHz and WABC Hot Hots on 101.5 MHz. It was always great to meet Paul as his enthusiam for radio was always infectious. I often was able to listen to both stations back at home on the west coast of Scotland.

In March 1991 I received a note from Paul saying that due to family commitments he and his family were returning to Mansfield. Paul then got involved with commercial radio with Gem AM in Nottingham and was a regular presenter. However, by the late 90s Paul was back in Donegal and running Radio North on 846 kHz and in time brought back WABC. However, his time was focused on Radio North which continues its format of country, oldies and religious programming on 846 kHz. Let’s hope Radio North can carry on and therefore continue Paul’s legacy.

RIP Paul and thank you for playing your significant part in the Irish era.

The recording is of the announcement by DJ Steven Lynch of Paul’s death on Radio North on Friday 27^th October 2023. It is courtesy of Neil Sweeney.