Sandymount Community Radio – later known as Radio Sandymount – was an 80s Dublin seasonal community pirate which appeared on air for annual local festivals each year between 1982 and 1988. It was one of a number of similar stations established by Dave Reddy which would ‘pop up’ in whatever town was holding a summer festival. Sandymount was the first of its kind and it proved so successful that other locations also requested a station for their festivities.

The idea first came to Dave Reddy in 1981 when, working for ARD/Radio 257, the organiser of the Sandymount Community Week for 1982 approached Dave asking if the festival could get a mention on ARD. As a result, Dave used ARD’s spare medium wave transmitter, relocated to Sandymount, and set up a short stay station anchored by Al O’Rourke.

Featuring music, interviews, festival news, competitions, the station first appeared as a test signal on 226m on Friday, May 7th 1982 playing continuous music with no ids. It then reverted to a relay of ARD before launching as Sandymount Community Radio on May 16th and was on the air for two weeks. The station had a few ARD presenters helping out.

They were back in April 1983 on 99.9MHz and 1530kHz and on 1116kHz in April 1984.

In 1986, Radio Sandymount was on air on FM (98.1MHz) and MW daily between 9am and 6pm from May 14th to 26th for the Sandymount and Merrion Community Week.

In 1987 it was on air from May 14th on FM (104.5MHz) and 1530kHz MW daily between 9am and 6pm from May 18th for the Sandymount and Merrion Community Week.

In 1988 it broadcast on 94.1MHz and 1530kHz in May.