On The Air

For 100 years, radio has been the voice of the nation, bringing us together and reflecting our changing society. From the first broadcast of Radio Éireann on 1 January 1926, Irish families gathered around the wireless to listen in. Since then, we’ve tuned in to breakfast DJs and drive-time programmes, news broadcasts and talk shows that get us discussing national issues. The presenters and commentators who have filled the airwaves – from Frankie Byrne to Gay Byrne, Din Joe to Dave Fanning and Marian Finucane to Mícheál Ó hEithir – have become household names. As author Rosemary Day delves into the history of radio, she also tells the stories of women in broadcasting, Irish language on the air, internet and pirate radio. From the music we listen to and the sport we follow, to the news we tune in to, find out how radio has influenced the way we see ourselves and the world.