Vintage 2FM Discussion Thread

Ireland's Choice on Sunday is an interesting one. I did not know that Steve Bolger was on RTE Radio 2 at all - I had him down as on Cork Local Radio and maybe pirates after that. And I never heard of Dermot Langan and Ray O'Brien. Another interesting entry that evening is the Irish language programme - Anonn's Anall - with Máire Davitt and Pat Butler. The latter's name rings a bell with me, but I don't remember the former at all. I see Marian Farrell was co-presenting Poparama on Saturday and Geoff Harris was presenting both days. I had read before that Marian Farrell had been an ex-2FM presenter when she was part of the original 4FM (now Classic Hits) schedule. I don't think I knew until now where or when she was there!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119144071#Comment_119144071

First RTE Radio 2 schedule 2 months after going on air in May 1979.

Sponsored programmes on Radio 2 every day except Sunday!

Radio 2 simulcast on RTE Radio 1 at midnight!!.

Also RTE Radio 1 and R Na G schedules.

Glaceon

Great post. Yes, that's the jingle I mentioned above. I couldn't make out if it was 240 or 244 so thanks to all for the clarification.

The Beaumont site can be seen on the older aerial maps on the OSI website, just off the Beaumont Road near the northern end of the modern day Collinswood estate.

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119144262#Comment_119144262

The RTE 2FM TX was in Beaumont, north Dublin, on a site known locally as 'the old piggery'.

The RD Ch2 TX was in Inchicore on the RD studio site - long wire antenna stretched across the house grounds and originally over the railway line at the rear of the house (until a passing CIE track inspection crew saw it and cut down the support pole that had been setup on the opposite side of the track).

Thee was so much RF around that site, from a 10Kw MW on 253M and a 1K SW on 6290Khz, that even when the 240 transmitter was off, there was still a relay signal of the 253 TX on the channel from the antenna resonating with some of the adjacent power.

cml387

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119144071#Comment_119144071

Where was the 240m transmitter?

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119138174#Comment_119138174

Yep, it was also the first AM freq used by Radio Dublin Channel 2 - originally launched as an opt out FM only service (from RD 253), Ch2 then added a relatively low powered AM TX on 240M. Until ... one day a whopper of a carrier appeared on the freq and I thought it was testing a more powerful rig. Unfortunately it was just RTE's non subtle way of telling Ch2 to move. Ch2 then moved slightly away to 244M. TX site for the Radio 2 local AM was in Beaumont - later used as the location for the jamming signal on Sunshine Radio in 1984.

Radio 2 had a jingle that mentioned '490....240... RTE, Radio 2 ... Stereo Sounds on VHF'

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119137138#Comment_119137138

Thanks, now that you mention it, I do remember Tony in the drivetime slot, but still have no recollection of his early afternoon show, until today fm. Probably because I was in school!

cml387

240m was the Dublin medium wave frequency in those days.

Peter Collins had already been involved in Sport (mostly Soccer / Formula One) - He and a few others left 2FM around April 1999 including Alan Corcoran, Lorcan Murray, Micky Mac, Gerard Gogan. This is when Liam Thompson came in as Programme Director....with a re-brand / logo and new schedule focusing at the weekends on Dance music.

Shane O'Donoghue was not really short lived !! - he was with 2FM for 10 years - until around 2005 and was the main sports guy on The Full Irish Breakfast show with Tubridy as well as presenting early breakfast around the 2002 to 2005 era. Shane also filled in on Radio 1 music shows such as Ronan Collins afternoon show.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136211#Comment_119136211

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119137138#Comment_119137138

Ian Dempsey had not left at this stage, when Tony Fenton was on in the afternoon. As Ford Fiesta said, Iano was two months away from leaving 2FM and Will Leahy just happened to be standing in for him that week. I think it was Barry Lang's departure that caused that particular reshuffle. Gareth O'Callaghan had been moved to the drivetime, Barry Lang's old spot, and Tony was moved into Gareth's spot. When Ian left in July, Gareth was moved again - this time to the breakfast slot.

I see Peter Collins was still presenting on 2FM at that stage and also the more short-lived Shane O'Donoghue. Both were to move to RTE Sports.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119137219#Comment_119137219

Also at the time Radio Ireland had relaunched to Today FM and their prospects were promising..

But don't forget there was a fair bit of chopping and changing on Radio 2 throughout the 80s - especially in 1987/88. The schedule only really settled in around 1989 - 1990 and remained fairly the same up until 1997.

I never liked the World Web Radio overnights around 1998 - it was basically the Overnights 2 am to 7am voicetracked.

I really liked the live overnights that they had for 10 years previously.

Losty Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119137194#Comment_119137194

Yep, that's right. He finished up early March 1998 in what was a real town hall of a show, during which all manner of famous and infamous people called in or rang in to wish him well.

As a curiosity, Ian Dempsey did his first Today FM show the day after TV3 came on air on 20th September.

JoeA3

Yep, I personally think that’s when the wheels started to come off 2FM.

They chopped and changed Tony, Gareth O’C, Aidan Leonard, among others, in an effort to replace Lang and then Dempsey. There was one reshuffle after another for the following decade.

Ian's mate Barry Lang would have also left in 1998 (early)

JoeA3

Yeah Tony moved to 3-5pm (3 to 5…. Live!) in summer 1998, probably when they were forced to shuffle things up when Dempsey jumped ship. 2-ish years later he moved to the 5-7pm slot which is where he was when he finished up.

Thanks!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136746#Comment_119136746

Tony was on afternoons for around 5 years 1998 to when he left 2FM in 2003. Dusty Rhodes took over the Hotline from Tony in 1998....then it became "Most Wanted"

Tony Fenton at 3-5 there...I thought he went straight from the hot line to today fm, did he have afternoons long on 2fm? I don't recall it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119125718#Comment_119125718

2FM schedule from late May 1998

Notice that there are no women presenters on the schedule for this week - there was always at least one !!

As far as I remember Suzanne Duffy had gone on Maternity leave. Other female presenters of this era Ruth Scott and Uaneen Fitzsimons had not yet started on 2FM. Theresa Lowe had left 2FM.

Ian Dempsey is 2 months away from leaving 2FM, though this week Will Leahy is covering for him on Mon - Fri breakfast.

Glaceon

There’s a recording of the launch in the Medium Wave Goodbye programme from RTÉ Radio 1, also presented by Brendan Balfe. You should find it on YouTube.

I can’t make out the second wavelength in the launch jingle. It says 490 (which would be 612 from Athlone) and then something like 240 or 244 which I’ve no idea about. 1278 didn’t start until 1982.

ZaK23-54

Correct...I believe the first voice was Brendan Balfe - followed by Mr Gogan.

Has Brendan retired from radio? From reading I believe he was a great DJ and radio anorak.

Anyone have a recording?

Dom the chemist

What age will 2fm be on Tuesday? 43 ?

In the 90's for me, Saturday night meant "bath night". I used to listen to the dance show on AM on the auld fellas portable radio that was in the shape of a Porsche 911, with Hoffmans lager branding, switching to the "big" stereo when I was in my PJ's!!!

Mickey's son Connor McNamara does football commentary for BBC Radio 5 Live and is on Match of the Day the odd time too, you can really hear his dads influence in his style and pronunciation, I think.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119104448#Comment_119104448

Is Micky still on Clare FM?. I know he had a Friday evening oldies show "The Platinum Collection" and briefly did Drivetime Mon - Fri there around 6 years ago, this was before he joined RTE Gold first time and also when he finished up with RTE Gold when the weekend shows were cancelled...

....But he may have been on Clare FM and RTE Gold around the same time.

He has filled in on occasion for Will Leahy on the RTE Gold breakfast show.

He and his family owned the HSI College in Limerick.

Micky really sounds like he enjoys the 70s show on Saturday mornings.

GSF

https://www.limerickpost.ie/2017/05/18/dj-micky-mac-shake-bib-bang-drums/

this article is very good

Going back to that 1994 schedule, I remember 2FM marking it's 15th birthday, with a series of one-hour shows by various presenters. It also utilised new guy Dusty Rhodes while many went out to celebrate its birthday!

ZaK23-54

I just asked Alexa to find Micky Mac 2 FM ..it found me his last 2FM show in April 1999.....

it’s a great listen with guests Mr Spring and Will Harris talking about his 7 years on the Dance Show 1992-1999..

Micky still sounds great on Gold - a real DJ like his late colleagues Tony Fenton and Larry Gogan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119104070#Comment_119104070

Yes, one and the same. He was originally Michael McNamara, mainly playing oldies on RTE Radio 2/2FM, and then reinvented himself as a dance deejay on 2FM during the 1990s and calling himself Micky Mac. He left for Lyric FM in 1999 and reverted to his original name. Many years later, having left Lyric and RTE, he came back to RTE with RTE Gold. I don't know at what stage he reverted to his erstwhile dance name, albeit not playing much dance music anymore!

ZaK23-54

Is Micky Mac on RTÉ Gold’s 70’s show the same guy as Michael Mc Namara ex 2FM....?