A Capital QSL from 1981 (courtesy of Ian Biggar/DX Archive).
Capital Radio International began broadcasting from Dublin in 1981, one of many shortwave pirates from Ireland during that decade. It broadcast for the most part on 6268 kHz with a strong signal – the QSL above records an output of 180 watts which was well above average for the hobby shortwave stations. Capital Radio sometimes operated from the site of another shortwave pirate Radio Valleri.
Our recording was made from 6268 kHz from 1120-1205 on Sunday 11th August 1985 and features the station operator Aidan Hughes. The signal is indeed strong but over-modulated in places and seems to drift slightly off channel. Capital returned to the air in the early 1990s but came to an end when Aidan Hughes died prematurely.
For more information about the shortwave pirates see the DX Archive and Pirate Memories websites. This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.
Prince Terry on air in Westside Radio International c. 1987
Westside Radio International was one of the longest-running shortwave stations from Dublin in the pirate era. Westside was originally operated by Dr. Don (Don Moore) in 1975 and 1976 at a time when he and Prince Terry (Roger Lloyd) were also involved with Radio Dublin on medium wave. Westside returned to the air on 25th September 1977 on 6210 kHz, this time operated by Prince Terry. It moved to 6280 kHz where it was a permanent feature on Sunday mornings until the end of 1988 when the new radio legislation came into force.
An early QSL from Westside Radio issued in 1977 (courtesy of Ian Biggar/DX Archive).
Our recording was made on Sunday 21st July 1985 from 1140-1225 and features part of Prince Terry’s FRC programme with his trademark rock music and news about the free radio scene. The programme gives a great sense of pirate radio on both sides of the Irish Sea at the time, delivered through the unique audio experience of shortwave. A panel discussion involving both Prince Terry and Dr. Don can be heard here.
A leaflet outlining the early history of Westside Radio International (courtesy of Ian Biggar/DX Archive).
For more information about the shortwave pirates see the DX Archive and Pirate Memories websites. This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.
Westside QSL on its last day of operation in 1988 (courtesy of Ian Biggar/DX Archive).
A poster for Skull and Bones Radio System (courtesy DX Archive).
The Skull and Bones Radio System was the original of the species. Named after the pirate radio symbol of the skull and crossbones, it broadcast originally in 1977 and 1978 on 6220 kHz and then left the air for over 6 years. Skull and Bones returned on Sunday 4th August 1985 on a test transmission on 6210 kHz and resumed regular broadcasts the following week. This recording is from the first regular broadcast on Sunday 11th August 1985 and features station founder Gary St. John on air from 1025-1110. Gary welcomes listeners back and announces that Skull and Bones will link up on air with other shortwave pirates Radio Valleri International and Radio Ireland International later that day.
Skull and Bones Radio System QSL from 1977 (courtesy of Ian Biggar/DX Archive).
There’s a strong sense of the camaraderie between the hobby shortwave pirates of the time and a good overview of the other stations on shortwave that morning. Gary also reads a letter from Radio Skywave International which had begun broadcasting a few weeks previously. The address given for reception reports is 310 Collins Avenue West, Dublin 9 which was of course the same address for Anoraks Ireland.
For more information about the shortwave pirates see the DX Archive and Pirate Memories websites. This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.
A Shamrock Radio QSL from 1985 (courtesy of @ukdxer / piratememories.blogspot.com)
Continuing with our mini-series of pirate shortwave stations of the 1980s, today is the turn of Shamrock Radio International from the southside of Dublin. Shamrock was a sporadic operator, most active on Sunday mornings in 1985. Anoraks UK first logged the station on 6293 kHz (later 6245 kHz) on 7th October 1984 but there was no mention of the station again until the summer of 1985. It was logged most weeks from June to September 1985 on 6295 kHz and again on 2nd March 1986 on 6300 kHz but there is no sign of it after that.
This recording was made from 6295 kHz from 0900-0945 on 18th August 1985. The unidentified presenter plays music and says that Shamrock are on a test transmission. He asks for reception reports to be sent to 136 Sandyford Road, Dublin 16.
For more information about the shortwave pirates see the DX Archive and Pirate Memories websites. This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.
We are processing hundreds of hours of recordings made by Radio Skywave International on an ongoing basis, and the Skywave Tapes Collection is one of the largest donations made to Pirate.ie.
Today we feature Radio Skywave International itself, as part of a mini-series this week on shortwave pirates of the 1980s. Like the many Irish shortwave pirates, Skywave was a part-time operation, usually on air on Sunday mornings. the first broadcast on was 28th July 1985 on 6260 kHz and they were first logged by Anoraks UK on August 11th. The address was 58 Seagrange Road, Baldoyle, Dublin 13 and later and later PO Box 1686, Dublin 1.
A rear view of 58 Seagrange Road, Baldoyle from where Radio Skywave broadcast (photo for house sale in 2020 as advertised by Movehome Estate Agents on myhome.ie).
Skywave broadcast almost every Sunday for the rest on 1985 on 6260 kHz and into 1986. There were occasional forays onto other shortwave frequencies. On 12th October 1986 the station was noticed relaying the religious programme Good News Radio on 6261 kHz which appeared to become part of their regular Sunday schedule from then on. Skywave seemed to take a break for a few weeks around April 1987 and was not logged until 17th May 1987 when noted on a new frequency of 6850 kHz.
In the Skywave days, there was a long wire down this garden, which contained a 6×4 shed (photo from myhome.ie).
An Anoraks UK report of 31st May 1987 included a letter from station operator Michael Caine (Hegarty) stating that shortwave was being suspended in order to concentrate on an FM station called Downtown Radio. It had a 50-watt transmitter operating on 88 MHz and aimed to be a community station serving Dublin’s north inner city. There was another operation called the Irish Radio Relay Service that carried mostly an English pirate called Falcon Radio (which also used the PO Box in Dublin). This mainly used 6850 kHz, but Skywave appeared there on 23rd August 1987 and became regular towards the end of the year. The station continued into 1988 but was not logged every week. The final logging was on 6850 kHz on 12th June 1988. We thank Ian Biggar from compiling this station history.
This recording is from 6260 kHz from 1045-1200 on 2nd November 1986 and features Dominic Dillon on air, who beings his programme with the Radio Dublin theme song. For more information about the shortwave pirates see the DX Archive and Pirate Memories websites.
