PAST RADIO LISTINGS - IRELAND |
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Past Station Listings by Frequency: In the 1970's and even into the 1980's receivers with digital or accurate analogue readouts were still too expensive for most listeners. Thus in the early days of Irish free radio, it was often difficult to obtain exact transmission frequencies, and most records from that era are quoted in metres. Many of the stations varied in frequency, and so these lists are certainly not defintive. The variations could have been due to vfo controlled oscillators, avoidance of interference or just loss of crystals following change of equipment. Whatever it was, it made the dx-ing hobby that bit more interesting, as stations could pop up anywhere. We do not expect that we have mentioned all stations on the air, but a good percentage. In the following lists, we have attempted to piece together information from numerous personal loggings as well as lists from other sources, to give readers an idea as to which stations broadcast where and when. The first few lists only relate to medium wave and shortwave. This is because there was very little FM activity up until around 1981, and where stations did have an FM outlet, it was usually only receivable for a short distance. We have endeavored to mention those stations known to be on FM, but apologise to any we may have missed. Complete accuracy was virtually impossible, as many FM stations drifted or changed frequency at times, in order to avoid interference. |
(This page contains large jpg files totalling 1.3Mb in order to keep the pages readable) |
| The first of our Irish Free Radio station lists was recently unearthed from a reception report sent to shortwave station Radio Solent City International on 6th August 1978. It was from a listener in Ballinasloe, County Galway and contains possibly the most accurate frequencies rather than announced wavelengths of the period up to the end of July 1978. Additional material to fill the gaps was from the FRC Ireland Magazine Sounds Alternative and our own loggings. |
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The core of the next three lists are from the 'Unofficial Radio' section of Short Wave News Magazine from the Danish ShortWave Clubs International. This was at the time edited by Dr John Campbell.The first is from September 1979, however this was probably a compilation of stations heard from earlier in the year, due to a lengthy postal dispute in Eire delaying loggings to the magazine. Some of the original unidentified stations are filled in and augmented by known loggings from other sources, including a visit made by two Midlands dx-ers in early August 1979. The second listing is from the December 1979 edition of the same magazine. At this time it was expected that new legislation would close all the stations down, and this was thought to be a 'final' list of Irish free radio stations. History proved that this was the first of many 'expected closures'. |
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1981 onwards, accurate frequency lists from Eire became much easier to
come by. This was due to much wider availability of digital receivers,
keen local listeners, regular trips by enthusiasts from numerous countries
and improved signals into the UK and Europe. The first full listing below is
based around the October 1981 edition of Short Wave News Magazine and
includes our own loggings from the August trip. Later ones are re-produced
from Anoraks UK lists of the day. Although produced by Anoraks UK, these
were regularly compiled from signals received in Blackpool and from contributions
of hundreds of DX-ers and local Irish listeners. Because of all the
help from contributors across Eire, especially Tony Donlon in the early
80's, it also became possible to list the FM outlets of stations. |