Sunshine Radio Archives - Page 6 of 14 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

30th November 202225th October 2025

All-night Sunshine Radio on October bank holiday weekend

This recording of Dublin’s super-pirate Sunshine Radio was made in the early hours of the October bank holiday Monday 1985. Non-stop music is heard for the first twenty minutes or so, possibly from the Tamango’s nightclub at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock where Sunshine was based. The Sunshine Radio Review of 1985 lists live music from Tamango’s from midnight to 2am every Saturday morning. This may have been the case also on the Sunday of the bank holiday weekend, although there is no mention of the club during the music sweep. News at 2am is read by Joyce Jackson, who would go on to work as a journalist in RTÉ.

The recording was donated kindly to us by Shay Geoghegan.

6th July 20228th July 2022

John Dolan on Sunshine Radio

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John Dolan (real name Tadhg Dolan) worked in the first Cork pirates CBC and CCLR in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He also did some shows on Sunshine Radio in Dublin as well as stints with RTÉ’s Cork Local Radio and licensed station Radio South (later Cork’s 96 FM).

This airchecked recording is of John’s first show on Sunshine Radio between 1955-2100 sometime in May 1981. Audio is fair as the recording was made by placing a cassette recorder up against a radio. John is introduced by the previous DJ, Tony Dixon (RIP) and the voice of Sunshine boss Robbie Robinson (RIP) is heard on some of the adverts. Broadcasting ends at 2100 with the iconic Desiderata song, which closed the station down each night.

Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for the donation.

12th September 202115th September 2021

The Pirate.ie Podcast #8: Our audio tribute to Robbie Robinson

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We’ve compiled an audio tribute to the radio legend Robbie Robinson who died on August 31^st 2021 at the age of 81 in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. In episode #8 of the Pirate.ie podcast, colleagues, friends and listeners share their memories of Robbie and his station, Sunshine Radio, which transformed the Irish radio scene when it hit the airwaves in 1980.

Many thanks to everyone for taking the time to remember Robbie and honour his legacy in this way: Cathy Cregan, Aidan Cooney, David Baker, Lawrence John, Eddie Bohan, Cathy Dunne, John Fleming, Lillian O’Donoghue, Paul Allen, Simon Maher, Kevin Branigan, Pat Courtenay and Andy Preston.

8th September 20218th September 2021

Robbie Robinson closes 3rd Sunshine charity auction

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This is the final section of the 3^rd annual Sunshine Radio charity auction in aid of the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC). Station owner Robbie Robinson (RIP) auctions one of that year’s big prizes, a holiday to Portugal donated by Joe Walsh Tours. He then calls the founder of the CRC Lady Valerie Goulding to tell her that Sunshine has raised over £22,000 that year. As the letter above indicates, by 1985 the auction had brought in over £100,000 for the CRC, a considerable amount for the time and evidence of Sunshine’s commitment to charitable causes.

Another item of interest in this recording is a advert placed by the Association of Independent Broadcasters in Ireland, a group formed by some of the commercial pirate stations to represent the sector. News at 9pm is read by Caroline Callaghan.

This recording was made from 2054-2132 on 11^th April 1983. It is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated by Steve England.

6th September 20218th September 2021

Live on-air bidding at Sunshine’s 3rd charity auction

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The third Sunshine Radio charity auction for the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) was held in 1983 and continued to build on the success of earlier years. This is the final part of the first day’s 12-hour auction programme, presented by the late Robbie Robinson. There is live on-air bidding for the Sunshine Extravaganza, an evening gala concert with music, food and drink, all profits from which went to the CRC. News is read by Emer Dolan (Woodfull). Within a month, Sunshine would be put off the air when the station was raided by the authorities in a crackdown on pirate radio.

The recording was made from 2053-2139 on 9^th April 1983. It is from the Leon Tipler Tapes Collection, donated to us by Steve England.