BLB Sounds From The Past
This series takes listeners through the incredible history of a community radio station formerly based in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland which was launched in 1979. The station began as a pirate radio operation, challenging conventional broadcasting norms and setting the stage for global innovation in community radio. The series, told from the perspective of one of its founders, Mark Quinn, provides a deeply personal account of the station’s journey and its profound impact on everyone who was in its orbit.
Credits:
Sound recording by Mike Quinn
Sound mixing by Luke Conlon
High Wire Post Production, Dublin, Ireland
www.highwire.ie
Artwork by Jody Hogg Design
www.jodyhogg.com
Produced and presented by Mark Quinn
The copyright for this podcast series is owned by Mark Quinn and is hereby reserved.
BLB Sounds From The Past
Jim Brophy
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Travel back to January 1990 as we revisit a rare, live broadcast from Horizon Radio, where broadcaster Mark Quinn sits down with one of County Wicklow’s most multifaceted personalities: Jim Brophy.
Jim served County Wicklow as a dedicated Assistance Officer, managing the difficult daily balance of granting or denying financial relief to people in deep need. Alongside this, his part-time role as a senior officer in the Wicklow County Civil Defence—which grew to roughly 600 members at its peak—utilised his unique ability to bridge the gap between town and country communities. His deep connections with the GAA meant he personally knew residents in every parish across the county, aiding both his public service and his prominent role as a local GAA administrator.
To the readers of the Wicklow and Bray People, however, Jim was best known as the sharp, observant wit behind the beloved weekly column "The Man On The Corner," as well as the dedicated sports historian who authored the centenary GAA book The Leathers Echo.
In this engaging piece of local broadcasting history, Jim shares fond reflections on his deep roots in County Wicklow. He talks warmly about growing up in his home town of Rathdangan before charting his journey across the county to first arrive in his adopted home of Bray—a town he would come to love deeply and write about extensively.
This unedited conversation captures a distinct moment at the dawn of the 1990s. Featuring original Horizon Radio jingles, time checks and advertisements, it offers a nostalgic look at local broadcasting and a fascinating insight into a man who truly had his finger on the pulse of West, East, and North Wicklow.
Email the producers: radiogenicproductions@gmail.com
Bray Talking Heads Podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Listen now, you'll love it!
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