Former Irish Pirate Stations that Became Fulltime Online Stations

Declan A Walsh

Can you think of former pirate stations that became fulltime online stations? Many, especially the more recent ones, overlapped in their pirate and online phases, before they called it a day on their pirate operations. There are also some that had left the pirate scene before they became a fulltime online presence.

Here are examples that I can think of (all Dublin). Some may have gone since, but that does not matter.

Power FM

Freedom FM

Club FM (107.1 FM until a couple of years ago, to distinguish it from other similarly named pirates)

Hot FM

Easy Radio

Dublin's ABC

XFM

Are there any other Irish examples you can think of?

Red Fred

Heartbeat FM was a full-time pirate station in the 80s and at some stage in the 90s that also had one temporary licence amd is also online.

Also am I correct in saying that The 90s Network started as an FM pirate?

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120572665#Comment_120572665

Heartbeat FM is certainly a good example. The 90s Network is a bit different. It started off as a temporary licenced station and then went online, which it still is. In the meantime, it has become a pirate - it still comes on FM mainly on weekends. Kind of the opposite of what I am talking about!

Pirate FM started as an online station (despite the name!), did a stint as a pirate station during 2020 and went back to being online only. So that would count.

80s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058295735/former-irish-pirate-stations-that-became-fulltime-online-stations

Premier F.M. is Allgold.ie online

Gem F.M. has 2 online stations Gem Radio Gold And Gem Radio New Wave.

TheBMG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120573392#Comment_120573392

I never knew Gem had two online stations, that’s excellent news!

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120573392#Comment_120573392

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120573490#Comment_120573490

I knew about the two Gem Radio stations. They are both on the Radio Garden app. I particularly enjoy listening to Gem Radio New Wave. I was not sure if they were related to the pirate Gem Radio, but it makes sense.

I did not know until now about the existence of Allgold.ie, or that Premier FM had an online presence.

There is another unrelated station online (on Radio Garden like Gem) called Premier Radio International. That was a shortwave pirate off and on for decades. The only thing I am unclear about is whether or not it actually is a "former pirate" at this stage.

JDxtra

Phever, RetroNow, Trax, Non-Stop 90s.

RINO87

Would DHR (Deep House Radio) from Cork count? I know they used to be on FM for a good while when I was living down there. Just online now, I think.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120575374#Comment_120575374

Absolutely. It's good to see a non-Dublin example as well.

Another example from Dublin: WXTC.

Declan A Walsh

Here is another example: Radio Leinster. What is unusual about this station is that it closed down as a pirate in 1983 and came back as on online station in 2020, nearly 40 years later!

Declan A Walsh

It seems that online station Radio Valleri is directly linked to former, mainly on shortwave, pirate from the 1970s and 1980s Radio Valleri (or Radio Valleri International), and which briefly was relaunched on MW and FM in 2021!

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120575106#Comment_120575106

I heard RetroNow over the weekend on FM - no longer a former pirate!

iamstop

I used to have a show on the now defuncted Play FM.

Anyway, this thread has me thinking how spoiled Ireland is for decent alternative radio. I live in Winnipeg for now and the absolute pure tripe they call commercial radio is scandalous. The same handful of 'classic' song over played to death again and again and again. Then they'll change the name of the station as an image switch but it's the same turn just packaged slightly different. The only saving graces in this city are the two commercial free college stations.

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120680511#Comment_120680511

Was that PlayFM Dublin?

I did 2 guest mixes on a show back 2009. At the time they were on both FM and online… I still have both shows in my library and would often listen back to them because I absolutely tore it up on both occasions…. Playing Techno/Tech House…

iamstop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120680548#Comment_120680548

Yessir. I liked how they had a little chat box on the computer in the studio. Made it very easy to interact with the listeners. It was during one of these interactions that a listener thought it criminal that I wasn't recording my shows. Well after that I went home, put my records back on the shelves and did some research.

Ended up finding a program that I could set to record on my home computer at a set time. Then I'd upload to Mixcloud. Still have all the shows from then onwards.

Some good times at Play FM Dublin tbf.

PlayFm Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120682493#Comment_120682493

You will be glad to know that we are back online with a roster of 24 Dj's from around the world and growing. Check us out -> www.playfmdublin.com

Enjoy...

PlayFm Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058295735/former-irish-pirate-stations-that-became-fulltime-online-stations

Play Fm Dublin, we shut up shop in 2012 and decided to come online only this year. We now have a roster of 24 Dj's from Ireland and around the globe. Checkout -> https://playfmdublin.com enjoy...

zell12

Saor-Raidió Chonamara in 1970 from a roving caravan.. was re-launched by state broadcaster RTÉ 😊 as RnaG in 1972, and fully online 😉

Tax The Farmers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120682493#Comment_120682493

ABC Dublin and it's various offshoots.

Radio Freedom (also had spells as a legal temp)

Radioactive (90's Anarchist Dublin pirate)

8 radio (arguably a continuation of Phantom and/Or Coast)

Storm Radio (Dundalk)

Radio Caroline (allegedly it's first test broadcast was in Greenore harbour).

Some Irish ILR's and community stations also had varying degrees of pirate heritage.

Lord Nelson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120573974#Comment_120573974

Premier FM was online until 2009. It was rebranded as All Gold on the basis that the name change reflected the format and avoided confusion with the religious station of the same name. It had quite a dynamic schedule until around a year ago when it was slimmed down. I’m told they’re just holding their place on the various platforms pending a complete revamp. Time will tell.

Infoanon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121548470#Comment_121548470

Those on board the Frederica have confirmed that a test transmission was made in Greenore harbour before setting sail , albeit there were issues with the initial test , it did alert the press to the activities of Caroline and Atlanta who where also in Greenore.

TheBMG

There is sunsetradio.ie which uses some of the old logos from the 1990s Dublin pirate of the same name. Not sure if they’re officially connected though

jluv

Pretty sure WLRFM were a pirate back in the day..

Tax The Farmers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551261#Comment_121551261

They were but many of (particularly the initially licenced batch of) ILR's around the country have varying degrees of pirate heritage.