Showing your age!!!

[scotty]

I thought it might be interesting from a nostalgia point of view, if we gave details of the first Irish pirate we ever tuned into. I wonder does anybody remember the days of Radio Melinda or Channel 70 back in the early 70's. Maybe Freedom 92 FM was the first station you tuned into.
The first Irish pirate I heard was Radio Valleri broadcasting on 6317 khz from Dublin. They were on most Sunday mornings at the time. This was in September 1973 and my parents had just bought me a Grundig portable with a short wave band. I was tuning in for the pop ship Radio Nordsee International, but came across Valleri and have been into the irish pirates ever since.
On medium wave it was Radio Dublin, late one Wednesday night on 1187 khz. I remember the dj mic level being so low it was virtually impossible to understand what he was saying! That was in October 1977 when Cookie had just put on a higher power rig and they broadcast on Wednesday nights and at the weekend.
On FM it was Radio Nova. That was in August 1981 when I was on my first trip to Ireland and as the ferry approached the port I tuned in to 88.5 and there was a BIG signal.
Whose next????

[Mike]

First pirate I heard was Radio Caroline. First Irish one was ARW (Ballina) First non-local Radio West (Mullingar) first City one was either Nova or ERI (cant remember)
On shortwave first pirate I heard was an unidentified (probably Radio Rainbow in Drogheda) Talking about the closure of Laser 558 (which I picked up once)

[FMDX]

First Pirate I heard was Radio Dundalk, followed a few days later by Radio Carousel. First Non Local would have to be one of Radio West, Sunshine, Boynside (CRD), Sunshine or Northern Radio not sure which. First FM, Carousel on 96.4 (how did he link to Navan with that considering it could not be heard the other end of Dundalk)

[The Real Stuttering John]

probably Sunshine 101 in the early days was the first pirate although I did enjoy radio Luxembourg as the first actual station I listened to as a kid(a side question for you. When did Lux close exactly?)

[Mike]

Yeah Luxembourg were great back in the dark days when RTE were the only other station

I think it was around 1991 it closed. First theyy stopped the English service on medium wave but it continued for a year on Shortwave (15.???) and Satellite. Then they closed that a year later. Their French (234 LW) and German (1440KHz) services are still around

BTW did anyone else ever listen to that Bilingual Flemmish/English programme that used to go out an hour before the English service opened

[herbert]

The first station is ever heard was RTE Radio 2 probably in 1981, notably Larry Gogan doing the "Top 30 singles" on a Sunday afternoon, then Micky mac with "Solid gold McNamara".

The first pirate I heard was probably Independent radio Mayo from Castlebar or the old Mid-West radio from Ballyhaunis around 86/87.

[DeargDoom]

I got an old am radio from my uncle in 1979 (I was 4) ... I can remember tuning around the dial hearing the AM pop stations of the time...the big hit was Heart of Glass by Blondie, it never seemed to be off the radio. I didn't know what the station names were (c'mon I was about 4 for gods sake!) but there was always one station with really bad audio and muffled sound. I'm guessing that was 253!!!

I also vaguely recall my da listening in to Downtown Radio (when I lived in Navan ... a part of my past I've managed to avoid remembering until now!)...and I still have some Top 40 recordings the da made off FM from BBC Radio 2 in 1978...the Boomtown Rats at number one with "Rat Trap!" That was back in the days when having an Irish band appear on TOTP was important enough to record and keep!

[Mike]

Funnily enough Dearg I was given a radio when I was two and a half and from that time on whatever remote chance of ever having a life I had went out the window

I blame my parents :-)

[scotty]

Firstly the Carousel link from Dundalk to Navan was always crap. It was only used for Hardy's Country Call and not for long as the quality was always so bad.
I well remember the Flemish service of Radio Luxembourg with dj Mike Verdrengh. Very professional. I first heard it in 1973 and think it continued into the 80's. I think it ran from 6 - 6.30 pm on weekdays and 6-7 at weekends. Another one of my favourite radio memories

[trev]

The first pirate I heard was PulseFM on 103.7 from Castlebar in 1994 or 95. They would relay Virgin from the Astra satellite and would start programming at around 6 o'clock, I was kinda young at the time but I'd listen in whenever I could, it was good and different, nothing like licenced radio. They disappeared a short while after that. I have been interested in pirate ever since!!

[TheGoldenMaverick]

Radio Dublin and Radio Nova were the first.
I always remember being so confused listening to Casey Casem on Nova i think it was, and wondering if he flew into Ireland to do his American Top 40 shows. I used to offer to wash my Da's car when that was on as you'd get uninterrupted listening and i thought anyone passing would think i was so with it.
I recently found a letter written by my older sister and signed by me addressed to the then minister for telecom (Nealon i believe) demanding that Radio Dublin be left alone (i had and still have very bad handwriting, can't join my letters and all that stuff).
My Da was a big fan of Boyneside Radio and i was always fascinated by a chap called Micky Mac Mathúna who did the Greenscene show. I hated the music but he was great.


The GM

[Alan D]

kiss 103.2 in dublin around 1994 i was very young all i do remember is that it was great music non-stop my fav song would have to be dont be silly put a condom on your willie! you didnt hear that on classic 98 or rock 104! im still trying to get it!! :-)

[scotty]

Mike,

I too remember the Flemish service of Radio Luxembourg. If I remember right, it ran from 6-6.30 on weekdays and 6-7 at weekends. There then followed a short programme in Italian and the English service was at 6.45.

Going back to the Flemish service, The presenter was a guy called Mike Vendrengh, who is a well known name in Belgium. It was always a very professional programme and well produced. I think it was pre recorded in a studio in Brussells.

At the weekends I remember two other dj's, one was Frans Van Der Drift, the other Peter Van Dam. Both worked on the offshore station Radio Mi Amigo.

This service ran for years, I first remember it in 1973 and I think it ran right into the 80's and maybe later.

[energy102fm]

The frist station was nova on am from dublin frist fm was sunshine 101 from sands in north side dublin

They where the good days from sunshine101 , Q 102 , nova 103

[FMDX]

North East Radio was in Dundalk from 1979 to 1980 (Tony Allen and Mr St. John), I take it you are referring to Northern Radio on about 1310kHz from Omeath in 1981/2

[aki ross]

The Golden Maverick: "I always remember being so confused listening to Casey Casem on Nova i think it was, and wondering if he flew into Ireland to do his American Top 40 shows"

Darn, someone got there before me!! LOL. I have the same memory, and it is my first of what I later found out to be a pirate station. I remember I was also quite confused about this great American voice on my little Irish Radio.

Legally I remember Barry lang and Ruth Buchanan on Poporama on Radio 2 on a Saturday (?) morning. I won a few prizes from that show!

I first realised that radio was not solely the domain of the rich, or of Adults for that matter, when I heard a few voices not much older from mine during the summer of 1988 (?), it was the Ormond/Branigan "Signal 106". I thought, if a couple of "kids" could do it, then so could I.

AR