Sligo Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

17th October 202513th October 2025

Border series: Test transmission by Radio Sligo

This is an unusual recording that underlines the volatile and sometimes dramatic nature of pirate radio in Irish during the 1980s. It is of a test transmission by Radio Sligo from February 1984, just 10 days after the station was wrecked by a disgruntled former DJ who would go on to be jailed for the incident. The Sligo Champion of 17^th February 1984 reported that the former DJ was charged with causing over £1,500 worth of damage to equipment and of stealing nearly £1,300 worth of property, including the FM transmitter. The damage and theft occurred after the intruder broke into the station on the night of 8^th and 9^th of February following a dispute over pay which had led him to leave Radio Sligo. The Sligo Champion reported on 23^rd November that the former DJ was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment for the incident.

This strange recording contains references to vandals and bandits, which no doubt refer to the attack just over a week before, and it seems that this is the first time that Radio Sligo returned to the air after losing its equipment and FM transmitter. The address of 4, Castle Street and a telephone number are given out and the unidentified presenters announce that the station will return the following day. There were a number of pirates called Radio Sligo in the 1970s and 1980s but this version began in 1981 and continued to be logged until September 1984, so it seems that the station returned to the airwaves for a number of months after the attack.

The tape was made from 1260 kHz, announcing 237 metres, on 18^th February 1984 and is courtesy of Ian Biggar.

30th September 202530th September 2025

Border series: Saturday afternoon on Radio Sligo

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Radio Sligo t-shirt featuring station logo (courtesy Ian Biggar)

The history of pirate radio in Sligo is complicated by the existence of different stations of the same name during various periods, with no clear link to each other. The first period dates began in 1979 with two pirates based in the town – the first station calling itself Radio Sligo on 1166 kHz and the other called Radio City on 1300 kHz, which renamed itself Community Radio Sligo by 1980. Neither station was mentioned in the August/September 1980 edition of Sounds Alternative, so there may have been no pirates operating in the town at that time.

The second period is from autumn 1981 when a new Radio Sligo was logged on 1260 kHz, announcing 237 metres. This station featured in pirate radio listings in the Sunday Journal from late 1981 into 1982. The Danish Shortwave Clubs International Irish radio reports gave an address of 4 Castle Street, Sligo for this station. It continued to be logged in various sources up to 1984.

The third period is from 1985 with the arrival of another station called Radio Northwest, which later renamed itself Radio Sligo. According to a list published by Anoraks Ireland on 7^th October 1985, this was also based at 4 Castle Street, so it may have been connected with the previous station of the same name, although probably not with the original Radio Sligo from 1979.

This short airchecked recording of Radio Sligo is from the second period and features an unidentified DJ and adverts for local businesses in Sligo. It was recorded from 1745-1805 on Saturday 29^th January 1983 from 1260 kHz. The tape is from the Leon Tipler Collection, donated to us by Steve England. Thanks to Ian Biggar for additional background information.

24th December 202124th December 2021

Closedown of Ballina’s Twin County Radio

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The town of Ballina in north Mayo got its first pirate radio station late in 1980 when Alternative Radio West (ARW) came on the air. A leading light in ARW – and later Ballina pirates such as Castle Radio and Westward Radio – was the late Tommy Murphy from Enniscrone in Co. Sligo. According to Magic and Madness, a history of Midwest Radio by James Laffey, Tommy famously checked with the Gardaí before switching on his transmitter so that he wouldn’t use the same frequencies! In fact, it is said that no-one ever considered raiding Tommy’s stations because he was so popular in Ballina.

Tommy’s final pirate outing was Twin County Radio, which came on the air in the spring of 1988 and served a large area of North Mayo and neighbouring Sligo, hence the name. TCR broadcast on 95 FM, was backed by local businessmen and had a full-time staff of six. It closed on New Year’s Eve 1988, along with all but the more daring pirate stations.

This is the final hour-and-a-half of TCR, recorded from 1640-1810 on 31^st December 1988. DJs Paul Stevens, Brenda Murphy, Siobhán Caffrey, Jimmy Whittington and John McIntyre say their goodbyes and Tommy Murphy hosts the final hour. There are several references to how the pirates launched the careers of many Irish country music stars in the 1980s. Twin County Radio closes down with the Angelus, a recorded message from Tommy Murphy and the national anthem. Tommy was also heard on Independent Radio Mayo and on the pirate and licensed Midwest Radio and died in 2012.

We thank John Breslin for his donation of this recording. For a comprehensive account of the 1988 closedowns, see the Radiowaves site.

24th September 202115th June 2024

Border series: Sunrise Special on Westside Radio

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This is another recording of Westside Radio, a station broadcasting from Sligo from 1986 to 1988. On air is Ed Stevens with the breakfast show called Sunrise Special although as he notes, the morning is wet and overcast. He claims that Westside is the only station broadcasting in either Sligo or Leitrim at that time. The style isn’t particularly slick, audio levels are uneven and the station phone is out of order, but there are plenty of ads for local businesses so clearly Westside had an audience around Sligo.

The recording was made from 0800-0932 on 30^th August 1988 from 97.6 FM, announced as 97.5. We thank John Breslin for the donation. It seems that Westside Radio closed in the autumn of that year.

Part 2 of recording from 0845-0932.

22nd September 202115th June 2024

Border series: Westside Radio from Sligo

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Westside Radio began broadcasting from Sligo on 97.5 MHz FM on 15^th November 1986, playing mostly country and western music. The Weekly Report of Anoraks UK on 7^th December reported that the audio was quite loud and sometimes distorted. An advert in Weekly Report in February 1987 (pictured) claimed that Westside was Sligo’s ‘first ever country music, folk and traditional and easy listening radio station’. Subsequent reports by Anoraks UK referred to plenty of requests and adverts, so the format appeared to be working locally. By April 1987, the station had changed its name to Westside Community Radio.

In February 1987, a West Coast Radio from Sligo was reported to be testing on 1143 kHz AM and 103.5 FM. This was a shortlived station but there must have been confusion between the similar names when both were on air.

This recording of Westside Radio was made from 97.6 FM from 2028-2202 (part 2 below) on 29^th August 1988 and features a chart music show with Des McAleer who adds ‘Power 97.5 FM’ to the station ID. Clearly Westside had moved beyond its original easy listening format by this late stage in its existence, at least in its evening shows. The station was listed in an Anoraks UK log on 5^th July 1988 and Power 97 is mentioned in a report from Sligo on 24^th September, suggesting that it may have changed its name by that time. We thank John Breslin for this donation.

Part 2 of the recording (2115-2202).