Skywave Collection Archives - Page 18 of 21 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

24th April 20207th August 2021

Full recording: Diamond Radio (Dublin)

Diamond Radio broadcast on and off from 1981 to 1985. They began on the 30th of May 1981 and were heard in August by DX Archive on a visit to Dublin. The station was logged on 1580 kHz and thought to be a hobby pirate at the time. Short Wave News from December 1981 states: ‘Diamond Radio, now on 1557-59 with 500 watts. It has two teenage owners, a one bedroom office/studio and a spirit of improvisation’. The January 1982 issue said it was putting out about 170 watts and gave an address of Annadale Drive in the Marino/Whitehall area of Dublin 9. Diamond was listed by Anoraks UK on 1557 kHz in May 1984 but there was no mention of the station in a later list from August that year.

In Contact (World DX Club) in February 1984 Paul Davidson wrote: ‘Diamond Radio, a hobby station last heard summer 1982 are back on 1556 kHz with a very clear second harmonic on 3114 kHz’. The same address was reported and hours of transmission were said to be irregular, circa 1100-2400 daily. Paul did an update for Contact in early 1985 in which he listed Diamond Radio on 1556 kHz from Marino with broadcasting hours from 1600-2300. People involved in the station have confirmed to us that it was an irregular hobby pirate operating from 1981 to 1985. In Anoraks Ireland reports from 1986 and 1987 a Radio Diamond is listed on 106.1 MHz with addresses in Ballyfermot or Crumlin but was a different operator. We thank Ian Biggar and Niall Cassidy for providing information about the station’s history.

This recording is from 1557 kHz and starts at 11.27am on the 3rd of March 1984. Audio is scratchy and over-modulated but it gives a sense of the station. The recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

18th April 202022nd September 2024

George Long on Capitol Radio

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There were several stations calling themselves Capital or Capitol Radio in the pirate era, the best-known being the station that was on air from 1983 until the end of 1988. This Capitol became more specialist as time went on, playing first album tracks and then indie and alternative music. On 1st July 1986 Nitesky 96 was launched as a sister station from 6pm each evening with its own niche shows. The station was a strong supporter of the lively Dublin band scene of the 1980s, broadcast a weekly listeners’ Alternative Top 10 and held its own ‘Alternative Night’ every week.

This recording is from 96 MHz FM, begins at 9.15am on 3rd February 1984 and features the final 45 minutes of the ‘Daybreak’ show presented by George Long (Henry O’Donovan, RIP (2024)) who went on to work with Radio Nova and Energy 103. George also reads news also 9.15, 9.30 and 10.00 (quite a workload!) before handing over to Conor Brooks. There’s also a promo for a holiday giveaway giving the station’s address in Milltown, Dublin 14. At this time Capitol also broadcast on 1017 kHz but left AM at the end of March 1986 after reportedly selling the transmitter to the new Liberties Local Community Radio. Capitol-Nitesky 96 continued on FM until 31st December 1988.

This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

16th April 202024th March 2024

Evening shows on Centre Radio (Clonmel)

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Centre Radio was an offshoot of CBC Radio which started broadcasting from Clonmel in Co. Tipperary in November 1981. CBC had a strong community ethos but station boss Paul Byrne wanted a more youth-oriented station and so set up Centre Radio in April 1986. The station lasted until 1987 before being renamed as Premier County Radio.

This recording is from 7.46pm on the 18th of July 1986 and was recorded from 88 FM. Centre also broadcast on 1251 kHz AM. The presenter is Eoin Ryan, who would later become producer of RTÉ’s Nationwide series. Paul Byrne’s voice is heard on the news intro and on some of the adverts. He retired in 2020 as CEO of Radio Kerry. You can listen to a documentary about CBC here.

We thank Jonathan Ryan for his assistance with background information. This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

15th April 202010th December 2023

Jingles: Dublin Community Radio

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Dublin Community Radio (DCR) was set up as Downtown Community Radio by long-time radio enthusiast Joe King in 1979 in the YMCA hall in Ringsend, Dublin 4. It moved to a shed at the back of his house in Lower Grand Canal Street where it was renamed Dublin Community Radio and later switched to a larger premises in Gardner Street in the city centre. Radiowaves.fm reports that it was the first true community radio station in Dublin. DCR dealt with issues in various communities, recorded programmes around the city and did live broadcasts from community events. According to Joe King, the station had specialist shows including one presented by the Dublin historian Éamonn Mac Thomáis. Some of the early voices included Bernie Jameson and her brother (DJ name Graham Talbot), Paul Caffrey, Paul Doyle (RIP) and Niall McGowan. DCR broadcast on 963 kHz, announcing as 312 metres.

Joe King’s DCR closed in 1982 but a second, unconnected Dublin Community Radio began broadcasting in 1984 and became KISS FM in 1985. Both these stations’ idents feature the voice of Tony Allan. The announcement of 105 FM at the end of the recording is from the second DCR. Tony’s voice was everywhere during these years and the fact that he spans the two separate DCRs is as confusing as it is interesting. This 1982 recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

15th April 20207th August 2021

Jingles: Radio Leinster (Dublin)

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Here is a selection of jingles, promos and idents from Radio Leinster in 1983. The sound quality isn’t great as the recording is from AM (738 kHz) but it gives a flavour of the station in its heyday. Radio Leinster was one of the easy listening and talk-based stations serving Dublin in the 1980s. It closed suddenly on the 19th of March 1983 as panic spread among the pirates following raids on the bigger stations. You can hear a recording from that day here.

This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.