Sunshine Radio Archives - Page 3 of 13 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

26th July 202430th July 2024

Midnight megamix from Tamango’s on Sunshine Radio

Sunshine Radio (1980-1988) was located behind the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock on the north Dublin coast. The hotel itself and the adjoining Tamango’s nightclub were regular advertisers on Sunshine, and the station frequently broadcast live club nights from Tamango’s at the weekend.

This recording from just before Christmas 1985 features part of the Midnight Megamix with Jim Kenny (RIP), broadcast live from Tamango’s. News is read by Joyce Jackson, who would go to to work in RTÉ in the 1990s. The recording was made from 101.5 FM from 0049-1037 on Sunday 15^th December 1985 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

14th June 20243rd June 2024

The sound of Dublin pirate radio in June 1986

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The Dublin pirate scene was alive and well in the summer of 1986. Radio Nova had closed suddenly in March, to be replaced by Energy 103. Other super-pirates Sunshine Radio and Q102 took advantage of the change to consolidate their positions in the crowded market. Smaller stations continued to chug along serving their own niche audiences or communities while pirates from nearby counties could be heard easily in the capital, particularly on AM.

This airchecked recording captures some of the variety to be heard in Dublin that summer and includes excerpts from KISS FM (Dublin 1), Capitol Radio, Radio Dublin, Q102, Sunshine 101, Energy 103, Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB), Community Radio Fingal (CRF) and Boyneside Radio. It was made on 19^th June 1986 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

17th May 202417th May 2024

Tony Dixon with soul songs on Sunshine Radio

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This recording of a Saturday night in 1985 on Sunday super-pirate Sunshine Radio gives a flavour of the variety in the station’s weekend schedule during this period. First up are soul and love songs with one of the station’s high-profile DJs, Tony Dixon (RIP). He is followed by Elliott John and Sunshine Street Beat. The usual high-level adverts for Dublin businesses and national brands are heard and there is a promo for a cash prize for listeners. Tony Dixon continued to broadcast on licensed radio until his untimely death in 2010.

Sands Hotel logo from the Sunshine time (courtesy Maria Ginty).

Sunshine Radio was based at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock on the northside of Dublin during its eight-year existence. This tape was made from 101.5 FM from 2019-2104 on 12^th October 1985 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

28th February 202425th February 2024

Tony Dixon on early Sunshine Radio

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Tony Dixon (RIP) was one of the popular DJs on Sunshine Radio, a large and successful pirate that broke the mould in Irish local radio when it came on the air in September 1980. In this short recording from the station’s early days, he is heard on a Sunday night programme that includes the tagline ‘Dance Radio – Sunshine 539’, highlighting the station’s emphasis on that genre of music after its launch. There’s also mention of Tamango’s nightclub that advertised heavily on Sunshine and was based next door at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock. The tape ends with the iconic Desiderata that closed down Sunshine every night, followed by the station’s theme song ‘You are my sunshine’. Tony Dixon went on to have a career on licensed radio but died prematurely in 2010.

The airchecked recording was made from between 2000 and 2100 on 12^th January 1981 from 531 kHz AM, announced as 539 metres, and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection.

26th February 202425th February 2024

Tony Allan interviewed at Sunshine Radio

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Tony Allan (RIP) was one of the most iconic voices of Irish pirate radio in the 1970s and 1980s. He presented on many larger stations and was heard doing voiceovers on countless other pirates throughout the country. In this recording, he is interviewed by Kieran Murray of the Free Radio Campaign Ireland outside the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock in north Co. Dublin, where Sunshine Radio was located. The station had started broadcasting less than two months previously on 29^th September 1980, its launch delayed by the sabotaging of its aerial, allegedly by a rival Dublin pirate. Tony refuses to speculate about the incident and instead emphasises the professionalism of Sunshine in contrast to existing Dublin stations. He also talks about his background in the offshore station Radio Caroline.

The interview was conducted on 16^th November 1980 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.