Funny really - when you've been around the scene for a while you start to get invited to reunions. There's an Atlantic 252 reunion in the planning for next year, but last Friday I had the thrill of hooking up with some of my former workmates from Super Pirate Sunshine 101.
Sunshine was THE station back in the mid to late 80's.
Founded by Robbie Robinson and Chris Cary,it dominated the landscape right until the end of it's life and produced some of the best radio heads in the business.
All the from a studio based in a portacabin beside the beach in north County Dublin!
The outside and inside of the 'portacabin'.In attendance on the night were people like Jim McCabe (Morning host on FM104 Dublin), Tom Hardy (PD at Today FM), Martin King (TV3 Personality), Dusty Rhodes (DAP), Dara O'Beirne (98 Dublin Production) and Ernie Gallagher (Q102 Dublin) and Paul Kavanagh(Riviera Radio MD).
Andy Ruane, Mark Byrne, Roger Lane, Roxy McGuiness, Avril Hoare, David Dennehy and of course, Robbie and Stella Robinson were also there.
It was so good to see Robbie and Stella and they look great.
Robbie is a legend in the radio business going back to his off-shore days with Johnnie Walker and the like on Radio Caroline. His story is amazing and it was a real honour for me, as a young pup, to have learned from him.
Check here for more on Robbie: http://www.paulplu.demon.co.uk/whos_who/caroline_south.htm
Robbie looking 'dapper' back in the 60s (as Robbie Dale).Times change of course and I wonder how Sunshine would have fared in the current cut-throat climate that is FM radio. Pretty damn well, is my feeling and seeing those talented people who put it all together confirms this in my mind.
Here's to all that worked in Sunshine over the years from Pat Courtenay to Tony Fenton to Declan Meehan to Justin Mckenna to Gerry Stevens to Tony Dixon and on and on.
Like my hair in this late 80's newspaper ad??Sunshine and Q102 Video.
