Steve Marshall Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

26th July 202521st July 2025

Border series: ‘the new Radio North’ from 1999

After the shortlived change to Radio North 2000 in 1998, the Donegal pirate dumped the reference to the millennium and relaunched itself as ‘the new Radio North’ in 1999. Owner Paul Barnett (RIP) maintained the focus on American country music and the station developed a more polished sound and concentrated on FM (103.9 and 104.4), while running a parallel AM service for religious music and programming, Gospel 846.

This recording from summer 1999 gives a flavour of the new Radio North, complete with a slick advertising promo and a huge number of adverts from both sides of the border, many of them voiced by Paul Barnett. The DJ is Steve Marshall, who had been involved in previous Irish pirate stations in the 1980s. Among the straplines used are ‘the northwest’s fasting growing station’ and ‘the only station that’s increasing its audience’. There’s also a syndicated news service from IRN at the top of the hour.

The tape is courtesy of Ian Biggar and was made on Tuesday June 1^st 1999 between 1405-1535 from 103.9 FM.

17th February 202515th February 2025

Daybreak on Cork station ERI

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

By 1983, ERI had become Cork’s leading pirate station following the transfer of studios from the village of Ballycotton to the edge of Cork city and the installation of a powerful new AM transmitter giving coverage of Munster. These airchecked recordings of the Daybreak breakfast show were made around St. Patrick’s Day 1983 and give a sense of the station during this expansion phase.

First up is former offshore presenter Andy Archer between 0823-0900 on 18^th March 1983. News is read by Andrew Hewkin, who is on his final day with ERI. This is followed by Steve Marshall between 0845-0930 on 21^st March 1983 with news read by Seán O’Sullivan. Adverts feature businesses around Cork city and county and there is a promo for a syndicated show, Soundtrack of the Sixties.

ERI broadcast on 102 and 105.8 FM at the time as well as 1305 kHz AM. This recording was made from AM by Kieran Murray and is part of the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

17th October 20229th October 2022

Steve Marshall on Galway’s WLS

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Steve Marshall was one of the founders of Galway station WLS (1985-1987), along with other ex-offshore DJs Keith York (RIP) and Don Stevens. WLS broadcast on 846 kHz AM and 104 FM, but switched to 102.7 in May 1985 after RTÉ alleged that it was interfering with television reception in Galway. By the summer of 1986, WLS was established as a popular and successful commercial station but it closed in unexplained circumstances in June 1987 after the departure of Don Stevens. Keith York and Steve Marshall went on to form Coast 103, which broadcast until the end of 1988.

This undated recording features Steve Marshall presenting a late night show sometime around October 1986. It was made from 102.7 FM from 2157-2233 and is courtesy of Brendan Mee.

31st August 202229th August 2022

Steve Marshall and Richie O’Shea on WLS

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This recording of Galway pirate WLS was made towards the end of the station’s life in June 1987. It begins with the end of Steve Marshall’s show and a promo for the Solid Gold Sunday programme with Don Stevens. The top-of-the-hour ident mentions ‘VHF stereo’ only as AM had been discontinued at this time. Steve is followed by Richie O’Shea from midday who mentions a £1,000 giveaway. Commercials include local businesses and agency adverts. The sound is tight with good music and slick jingles but WLS would be gone within the next few weeks.

Made on 4^th June 1987, part 1 above runs from 1150-1238 and part 2 below from 1238-1326. The tape was recorded from 96.4 FM in stereo with excellent audio quality.

Part 2 from 1238.

This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

26th August 202217th August 2022

Summer shows on WLS Music Radio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

These recordings of Galway station WLS Music Radio were made in the summer of 1986, when the station was well established as the leading pirate in Galway. Part 1 above was made on 1^st May 1986 from 2143-2228 and features Barry Williams with a requests show. Among the adverts is one for Supermac’s, now a highly successful fast-food company.

Part 2 below was made from 1559-1644 on 2nd May 1986 and features news with an unidentified presenter followed by Steve Marshall, one of the station’s founders.

Recording from 2nd May 1986.

Both recordings were made from 102.7 FM and are from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.