Lawrence John's Pirate Stations

Declan A Walsh · 30-09-2024 11:38PM #1

Lawrence John is a name that crops up a lot when looking at archives of Irish pirate radio stations during the 1980s, particularly Dublin. As you can see below, he resurfaced again on the pirate scene from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s. I think I may have come across him once or twice in the 1980s. Here are the stations that I am aware of from looking at archives. Unless otherwise stated, they were from the 1980s and were Dublin pirates.

Radio Leinster

Radio Nova

Sunshine Radio/101

Kiss AM/FM (from Parnell Square - not Radio Nova's sister station Kiss FM)

Q102

Cara 95/Heartbeat FM

Kiss FM (Monaghan Town as John Friday)

Energy 106 (1997-2005 - initially near Belfast and then Monaghan from 1998)

Do you know of any other pirates that Lawrence John was with?

Declan A Walsh · 02-10-2024 10:15AM

I found another Monaghan Town based pirate that Lawrence John was involved with in 1989. It was called FM100 and was run by him from the former studios of another Monaghan pirate called K.I.T.S. From what I read, FM100 may initially have used the studio of Belfast pirate B-96. It is possible that he may have had some involvement with that pirate too (there is a picture of him in B-96's studio in 1989), but I cannot be sure about that. I wonder did Lawrence John, who was from Belfast after all, have previous involvement in Belfast pirates before he turned up on Dublin pirates.

Declan A Walsh · 03-10-2024 12:48PM

I see as well that Lawrence John was doing voiceovers in 1989 on long running Monaghan pirate Radio Star Country. It does not mention if he actually presented on it. I wonder did he do much voiceover work for other pirates.

Declan A Walsh · 04-10-2024 11:28PM

i found another Dublin pirate that Lawrence was with! It was Capitol Radio from 1982, the short-lived album-oriented station.

Ger Roe · 05-10-2024 12:41PM

I was just type chatting to Lawrence about a non Irish pirate that I once heard him on.

Back in the mid 80's as an early twenty something, I was on an inter-rail backpacking trip around the french riviera and being a sad anorak, I had my radio with me (of course). Somewhere around Cannes or Nice, I picked up Riviera 104 and heard Lawrence on it. He has told me that it was an Italian based pirate at the time, that later morphed into Riviera Radio in Monte Carlo (managed by Paul Kavanagh).

LJ also told me that he served some time on TTTR before Capitol (Milltown,Dundrum) and then on to Radio Leinster, from where Chris Cary offered him the Late Night Nova slot.

We need to write this stuff down, before the memories fade :)

Declan A Walsh · 05-10-2024 05:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122686894#Comment_122686894

Indeed…and many thanks!

Updated list (Dublin and 1980s unless otherwise stated):

Treble TR

Capitol Radio (1982)

Radio Leinster

Radio Nova

Sunshine Radio/101

Kiss AM/FM (from Parnell Square - not Radio Nova's sister station Kiss FM)

Q102

Rivera 104 (Italian pirate)

Cara 95/Heartbeat FM

Kiss FM (Monaghan Town as John Friday)

FM100 (Monaghan Town, 1989 - possibly with B-96, Belfast)

Energy 106 (1997-2005 - initially near Belfast and then Monaghan from 1998)

Then there is the voice overs work on Monaghan's Radio Star Country in 1989. I don't know if he presented too.

Lawrence John's Pirate Stations

Comments