Waterford Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

16th March 202520th February 2025

Sunday afternoon on Waterford Local Radio

Waterford Local Radio was one of the longest-running and most successful Irish pirate stations, broadcasting continuously from 1978-1988 and subsequently earning the licence for Co. Waterford. This recording is of the Frankie King Show on a Sunday afternoon in 1983. There are plenty of requests from listeners and adverts are heard for local businesses from Waterford City and beyond, including one for a WLR roadshow at a local hotel. Voices on adverts include station founder Rick Whelan and Clodagh Walsh, who went on to work as a journalist in licensed radio. News on the hour is read by Denise Wall.

This airchecked recording was made from by Kieran Murray on Sunday 24^th April 1983 between 1400 and 1600 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. 88.6 FM is noted on the cassette label but 88.8 and 100 FM were the frequencies announced by WLR at the time. The station also broadcast on 1197 kHz AM, announcing 252 metres as reflected in some of the liners in this recording.

3rd April 202410th April 2024

Late-night Sunday on ABC Radio

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Waterford station ABC Radio broadcast from 3^rd March 1982 until 29^th December 1988 and became one of the country’s most popular and successful pirates. From humble origins in a caravan in the coastal resort of Tramore, it moved into Waterford City in 1985. ABC covered the southeast on 1026 kHz AM and a series of local FM transmitters. In this recording from 1986, Jimmy Ryan is on air with a relaxed late-night Sunday music show, featuring long sets with limited talk and no adverts. A station promo mentions towns in Tipperary and Wexford, emphasising ABC’s coverage beyond Co. Waterford.

The recording was made between 2201-2246 on 15^th June 1986 from 103.2 FM, a 2 kW transmitter from Tory Hill north of Waterford City that covered a large part of the southeast. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

22nd January 202412th January 2024

Sunday morning on Waterford Local Radio

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By the mid-1980s, Waterford Local Radio (WLR) was well established as one of the most popular and successful local stations in Ireland. This recording gives a flavour of Sunday programming on the station from the summer of 1986. Of note is the large number of adverts, including one for Ryanair flights from Waterford Airport to London. The first part features the Sunday breakfast show with Paul Power between 0800-0848. He is followed by Tony Weldon from 1012-1100. Community notices are read by Tommy O’Keeffe.

The tape was made from 88.9 FM on 13^th July 1986 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. WLR also broadcast on 1197 kHz (252 metres) and stayed on air until the end of 1988.

15th January 202412th January 2024

Sunday night oldies on Waterford Local Radio

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Early WLR logo (courtesy Colin Kennedy).

This recording is of John O’Shea with a Sunday night oldies show on the popular southeast station Waterford Local Radio (WLR), which broadcast from 1978-1988. The programme includes requests from listeners, lost and found notices, a competition and a featured artist. Plenty of adverts are aired for businesses in Waterford and surrounding towns. Sound quality is generally good but there is some variation in audio levels, especially during commercial breaks. John O’Shea continues to broadcast on the licensed WLR FM today. In this recording, he is followed by Conor Halpin with the Guilty but Insane show.

Sunday night oldies on Waterford Local Radio — Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The tape was recorded from 99.9 FM between 2044 and 2216 on 8^th August 1982. WLR also broadcast on 88.8 FM and 1197 kHz (252 metres). The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

28th December 202312th January 2024

Waterford Local Radio prepares for closedown

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Waterford Local Radio (WLR) was one of Ireland’s most successful and long-running pirates, broadcasting from 1978 to 1988, and it was one of the few pirates to be licensed in 1989. This recording was made 48 hours before the pirate station closed down in line with new broadcasting legislation. On air is Seán Organ, formerly of Suirside Radio, who continues to broadcast on the licensed WLR FM today. News is read by Clodagh Walsh, who went on to work as a journalist in the new independent radio sector and RTÉ. Station idents cover Counties Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny, reflecting WLR’s coverage area. There are references to the impending station closedown at 6pm on 30^th December 1988 and a reminder to listeners to support WLR’s licence application, which had already been endorsed by over 100 community groups.

The tape was made from 88.9 FM on Wednesday, 28^th December 1988 from 1348-1433. There is some wobble in the recording due to cassette degradation in places. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.