Kieran Murray Homepage

My Radio Career!

It's a long story but lets start at the beginning: On the main page I said on my 9th birthday I got a present of a small transistor radio. I started to tune around the dial to see what I could hear. I tuned into Radio Éireann, BBC Radio One, Manx Radio and at night - 208 Radio Luxembourg. Then I discovered a radio station which called itself Radio Dublin. It was only on the air for a short time on Sunday around Midday and played MUSIC! (Remember, back then, Radio Éireann was non-stop talk; there was no dedicated music station) This stood out in my mind and made a lasting impression on me. I decided that is where I want to go!!! It was while listening to this station that I heard a song that was to become my all time favourite track.

Early 1978 I began working in Radio Dublin, based in 3 Sarsfield Road, Inchicore. The station was owned by Eamonn Cooke and based in his mid-terraced house; the double record decks were in the front room looking out to the street, while the transmitter was housed upstairs in a small back bedroom. The antenna mast was a large pole in the garden of this house. I began by answering the telephone, taking requests from listeners and then went on to present my own show the "Free Radio Show" - Sundays 10.00am to Noon - on 253 metres Medium Wave! The show featured news on Offshore Radio stations like Radio Caroline and it got a great response.

In mid-April 1978 there were serious concerns among staff about what was happening in Radio Dublin. This resulted in a split in the radio station. While Radio Dublin continued from 3 Sarsfield Road in Inchicore, I went with the breakaway group (including John Paul and James Dillon) to set up a new station called BIG D Radio. The Big D Studio was located in Chapel Lane, just off Parnell Street in Dublin's city centre and broadcast on 273 metres Medium Wave with a good, strong, clear signal. I continued to present the Sunday "Free Radio Show" on Big D, which was also relayed on Short Wave in the 49 Metre Band. I also maintained the station's record library weekdays. I never got paid one penny for the work I did in Radio Dublin or Big D Radio; it was a love of the job that made me do it!

Then, a short time later, on the last weekend in May 1978, a man by the name of Hugh Hardy (RIP) called into Big D Radio and asked if anyone was interested in joining a new radio station he was starting in Dundalk, County Louth (about 52 miles north of Dublin). I volunteered, as did John Paul and Eric Vaughan also. The station, located just on the roof of the Dundalk Shopping Centre, was called Radio Carousel.

It broadcast on 1116 kilohertz, 265 metres and I am very proud to say that I was the very first voice heard on Radio Carousel, on that eventful morning of May 20th 1978 at 08:00 hours. The opening of the station marked the commencement of the Dundalk Maytime Festival a week later. I am forever grateful to Hugh Hardy for giving me my first ever paid job in radio.

A Message from Radio Carousel's Managing Director

RADIO CAROUSEL (DUNDALK)

(Click to see larger image)

Left: Radio Carousel (Dundalk) Staff Photo, May 1981:

Front Row: (L-R)
Shane Mullen,
Hugh Sands,
Penny Palmer,
Tony Farrelly.

Back Row: (L-R)
Richard Kenny (Richard Crowley),
Kieran Murray,
Shay Breslin (Shay Savage),
Ray Stone, (Ray McDonald)
Hugh Hardy,(Station Owner),
Dave Scott,
Mike Ahern (Richard McCullen),
Frank Mitchell,

In November 1981, I moved to work on Radio Carousel (Navan) which was located in the Navan Shopping Centre. The station came on air on November 21st 1981. The Dundalk station continued on 265 metres, while I looked after the hiring of staff for the new station. Christine Reilly looked after the accounts, managing a team of sales representatives who sold airtime, generating income for the all-important wages!

You can see more photos of Radio Carousel. By the way, here's a Bonus Gallery of radio carousel. The local newspaper for County Meath is called The Meath Chronicle and in 1997 it produced a special Centenary Publication called "One Hundred Years". There was a tribute to Radio Carousel and all those who worked for the station. You can read the article HERE

One of the 'famous' names that worked on Radio Carousel Navan was a presenter by the name of 'Daffy' Don Allen! He gave a rare radio interview about how he started his radio career in Europe in the 1960's on offshore pirate radio

In 1985 I was approached by the owner of Boyneside Radio in Drogheda, to operate their new service which was to be based in Kells. The station was called Boyneside Radio (Kells) located in Monaghan's Health Centre at the top of the town. Then in 1986 I moved to presenting programmes in Drogheda, where Boyneside was based. I did stand-in programmes for station engineer Heady Eddie and presented my own Saturday morning show. During this time I also presented the Free Radio Show on Short Wave station Radio Rainbow International on 6240 kHz 48metre band, every Sunday morning. Next..