South Dublin Community Radio Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

2nd September 20244th September 2024

Afternoon Groove on South Dublin Community Radio

All parts of Dublin had their own local stations during the pirate era, some limited to a small radius, with others aiming for coverage of larger areas of the city. One such station was South Dublin Radio that broadcast from 1983-1984 from the Dún Laoghaire area of the southside. Its origins were in South County Radio based in Cabinteely, also on the southside, first listed on 963 kHz AM in a DX Archive log in April 1982.

South Dublin Radio was first logged by DX Archive on 102 FM in July 1983. Our recording from that summer locates the station in Monkstown near Dún Laoghaire but Anoraks UK lists from October 1983 to February 1984 give Bray in north Co. Wicklow as the address and 102.1 as the frequency. This was in fact incorrect, as the station operator John Daly has confirmed that the only correct address was Pottery Road in Deansgrange near Dún Laoghaire. By May 1984, the station was noted on 927 kHz AM as well as 102.2 FM. The station had a low-powered AM rig on air for a time, with an output of about 80 watts. Listings from August 1984 to the end of the year give a frequency of 90.6 FM only, the change necessary due to the return of KISS FM on 102.7 in September. A short recording of South Dublin Radio was made in Scotland on 1242 kHz on 21st August but there are no other known logs of that frequency.

Recording from 1242 kHz courtesy of Ken Baird

The Weekly Report of 25^th November 1984 reported that South Dublin Radio was returning to normal after experiencing problems but it seems to have petered out around this time. John Daly told Pirate.ie that the station closed due to RTÉ Radio 2 taking up the same frequency. There was some variation in the name of the station and both South Dublin Radio and South Dublin Community Radio were noted, sometimes in the same recording. Some of the same DJs went on to the popular 1990s pirate DLR 106 (Dún Laoghaire Local Radio), that broadcast from the same area between 1991-2001.

Afternoon Groove on South Dublin Community Radio — Original cassette inlay from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

This recording of South Dublin Radio begins with Tony Lewis on the Afternoon Groove show, who plays continuous slow music for the first half-hour. He is followed by Paul Davis with Drivetime and community news with Bernie Lyons is heard on the half-hour. There is a sense of a hobby station about the broadcast: technical issues, no adverts and young and inexperienced DJs with implausible names cracking in-jokes. Reference is made to both South Dublin Radio and South Dublin Community Radio during the broadcast. The tape was made on Thursday 4^th August 1983 from 102.7 FM between 1533-1713 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. Thanks to Ken Baird for the recording made in Scotland and to Ian Biggar and John Daly for additional information.

23rd August 20234th September 2024

South Dublin Radio from Dún Laoghaire

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South Dublin Radio was one of the many pirates of the era from the southside of Dublin, broadcasting from 1983-1984 from the suburb of Dún Laoghaire. The station was linked to Radio South County that first came on air in 1980 and was active on 963 kHz AM. In 1984, it changed its name to South Dublin Community Radio but closed sometime towards the end of that year. Many of those involved went on to the popular 1990s pirate DLR that broadcast from the same location.

This tape is of the station when it was known as South Dublin Radio and features a chart music show presented by Bruce Foxton, obviously a fake name based on the British mod singer. There are plenty of requests from around the southside. Reception is weak reflecting the fact that the recording was made on the other side of the city well outside the core listening area. The recording was made from 91 FM from 1515-1602 on 30^th July 1984. It is from the Skywaves Tapes Collection. Radio Skywave International was a 1980s shortwave station broadcasting from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

31st May 20204th September 2024

Night time on South Dublin Community Radio

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South Dublin Community Radio broadcast from 1983 to 1984 from Dún Laoghaire, one of many small southside pirates of the era. South Dublin Community Radio was based in Pottery Road in Dún Laoghaire but logs from throughout the period that it was on air incorrectly note other locations also. This recording is from 2155-2240 on the 27th of August 1983 from 102.7 FM and features Bruce Foxton, to be followed at 2300 by Jimmy Cliff. In the time-honoured pirate tradition, these were pseudonyms inspired by the singers of the same names.

An interesting aspect of this recording is the frequency, as 102.7 had been used by Chris Cary’s KISS FM up to the Radio Nova raids of May 1983. KISS would return to 102.7 on 30^th of September. South Dublin Community Radio shifted to 102 MHz but moved down the band to around 91 because of ongoing jamming by RTÉ of Nova frequencies. When RTÉ began broadcasting Radio 2 from the Three Rock transmitter on 90.7 in 1984, that was the beginning of the end of South Dublin Community Radio and it seems to have closed by the end of that year. Many of the same people got involved in the popular 1990s pirate DLR 106 which broadcast from the same address in Dún Laoghaire. Thanks to all those who provided additional background information to us.

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