Dungarvan Community Radio started in a bedroom in station founder James Farrell’s house in Byrneville, a housing estate in Dungarvan, Waterford in 1980. The first DJ was Joe Kelly.

The station later relocated to a shed in the garden and was transmitted to Dungarvan via an ariel on a massive pole erected in the middle of the garden.

Another relocation in the mid-1980s seen DCR broadcast from above Ben O’Neill’s record store in the town.

Amongst the presenters was Mary Dixon, who proved extremely popular for her chats with local people. Other DJs were Ian Noctor (who went on to work for Today FM), Timmy Ryan and Seán Organ, who both now work for WLR FM.

The records and tapes were provided by Ben O’Neill and a wide variety of music was played, ranging from opera to country and Irish, and of course the music of the time such as Blondie, Madness and Michael Jackson.

Most of the equipment was made for the station by James Farrell and his friends and his friends. In order to soundproof the room which they were broadcasting from, James put large eggboxes on the walls.

Many people would get their requests played on the air, so many that James had to put a letterbox on the side gate specifically for requests (they didn’t have a phone in the station!).

A sample of James Farrell on Dungarvan Community Radio