Declan Meehan (radio presenter)

Declan Meehan
Born	Declan Jude Meehan Dublin, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Broadcaster
Employer	East Coast FM Today FM
Known for	Pirate radio protests Radio in 1970's to now
Title	Mister

Declan Meehan is an Irish radio presenter. Currently fronting The Morning Show with local radio station East Coast FM, Also Sunday Mornings on Today FM His career has incorporated involvement with multiple pirate radio stations (including Radio Milinda, the first to be raided and prosecuted) and, later, RTÉ Radio 2 (2fm) (where he was one of the pioneering station's original presenters). From there he moved to the superpirates of the 1980s, before a spell with legal radio in London, England. He is remembered for "presenting a cool and calm front"." on the morning that Radio Nova was raided in May 1983. He had joined the station from Sunshine Radio.

When Radio Milinda was threatened with closure in December 1972, Meehan declared on air in the week prior to the eventual raid, that they would "fight anybody who tried to close them down". Years later, he commented on the raid:

"We were fined £2, all the equipment was confiscated and it was great fun, a great adventure."

Meehan's first broadcast was in September 1970 on Radio Vanessa transmitting from Tolka Cottages Finglas, Dublin. The transmitter was bought by Ernie Melia from Tony Boylan who ran Radio Galaxy from Santry Dublin Radio Vanessa broadcast on 1525 Khtz (196.7mtrs) on Medium Wave Band. The station was named by Meehan for Vanessa O'Callaghan of Santry.The first shows were pre recorded. Other dj's were owner Ernie Melia as Edward LeeRoy and Oliver Cummins as Hungry Herbie. Meehan used the name Aaron St. Jude. They were soon joined by Robbie Irwin as Bob Ruskin.Irwin is now a sports producer with RTE Radio 1. The station broadcast every Sunday and moved between their various homes. Meehan and Irwin started intermittent late night broadcasts from Meehan's home and on one occasion gave out the phone number of the Irish Press newspaper as the request line. They got a front page story the following morning. Meehan was renamed 'Arno' St. Jude by Don Hall son of RTE TV star Frank Hall having misheard 'Aaron' The name stuck. Sunday programmes went live from Meehan's house in 1971 using the roof tv aerial as the antenna.

The station closed as did all others active at the time after the Radio Milinda raid. Other stations around at the time were Radio Caroline Dublin from Dalkey, Radio Eamo from Glenageary, Channel 70 from Monkstown and Radio Dublin/Baile Atha Cliath from Drimnagh.

DECLAN MEEHAN'S LIST OF STATIONS with other names of note in these stations at same time.

Radio Vanessa 1970-1972 Robbie Irwin

Radio Milinda 1972

RTE Trinity Radio 1976 Temporary Licence Mark Story, Gerry Ryan

ARD 1976-1978 Mark Story, Davitt Kelly

Big D 1978 Mark Story,John Clarke,Greg Gaughran, Gerry Ryan, Dave Fanning, Marty Whelan Robbie Irwin

ARD 1979 Ian Dempsey,Mike Moloney Gerry Ryan, Robbie Irwin, Ronan Collins Davitt Kelly Stephen Rhodes, Vincent Connell, Dave C, 'Dr.' Don Moore ,Jason Maine

RTE Radio 2 1979-1980 He was the first Breakfast Show presenter on the station but had a troubled time settling in. He found his niche when moved to 'Nightmoves'910PM to Midnight) produced by Mark Story in late 1979.In spite of huge audience figures and critical acclaim Meehan's contract was not renewed in November 1980. This decision caused unhappiness in RTE and won him strong support from all producers who signed a letter of objection to controller Billy Wall. The story was broken on the front page of the Irish Times by Joe Breen with headline 'Mutiny as RTE slips Disc Jockey' Presenters, particularly Vincent Hanley,Dave Fanning, Ken Stuart and Gerry Ryan were vocal. Gerry Ryan wrote of the incident in his book 'Will the real Gerry Ryan stand up' According to Meehan at the time Billy Wall told him he was a limited broadcaster with no future. Meehan told him he didn't believe him and would continue outside of RTE. The late Bill Graham in Hotpress Magazine wrote an article with headline 'The End of Decies Midnight Run'

Dave Fanning ,Marty Whelan, Gerry Ryan,Ronan Collins, Robbie Irwin,Mark Story. Vincent Hanley, Jimmy Grealy, Mark Cagney, Larry Gogan. Jim O' Neill

Sunshine Radio 1981 Tom Hardy, Tony Fenton, Tony Allen, Chris Cary, Robbie Dale Robinson, Peter Madison,Tony Dixon, 'Daffy' Don Allen, Martin King David Malone ,Johnny Lewis, Stevie Dunne Cathy Cregan

Radio Nova) 1982 - 1984 Chris Cary, Greg Gaughran, Tom Hardy,John Clarke ,Mike Moloney,Gareth O'Callaghan,Jason Maine, Scott Williams,Tony Allen, Bob Gallico, David Harvey, Sybil Fennell, Bryan Dobson, Ann Casson, Colm Hayes, Hugh O'Brien, Ken Hammond David Malone, Jason Maine

Capital Radio London 1984- 1988 Producer/Presenter Worked directly on shows with Alan Freeman, Chris Tarrant, Mark Story, Kenny Everett, Richard Allinson, David JensenThe 'Kid' , Nicky Horne, Graham Dean Richard Skinner, Jessie Brandon

Meehan left Capital to join RTE Millennium Radio in early 1988 while still living in London.The invitation came through intervention by Robbie Irwin. Station head Louis Hogan, who had been his Breakfast producer in RTE, told him it was a way to repair relations after his controversial non renewal of contract in 1980 Hogan said it helped that the station would be located off campus in the GPO Arcade in Dublin city centre. Robbie Irwin, John Clarke, Scott Williams, Gareth O'Callaghan ,Jimmy Grealy Brian Jennings Andrew Hanlon, Maxi

Meehan at this time was also researcher for David Jensen on a contribution for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in London

In a significant move in 1989 Declan Meehan turned down an invitation from Kevin Healy of weekend shows on 2FM and a weekday talk show on BBC Radio Bedfordshire in preference to joining the ill fated Century Radio.

Century Radio 1989 - 1991 Marty Whelan, Bob Gallico, Mark Story, Liam Quigley, Jim O' Neill Scott Williams , Greg Gaughran, David Harvey, Robbie Irwin, Cathy Cregan David Dennihy

FM 104 1992 - 1996 Colm Hayes, Scott Williams, Greg Gaughran, Joe Harrington

East Coast FM 1994 onwards.Programme Controller Joe Harrington told Meehan of a vacancy in 'Speech' at East Coast Radio. It is said Meehan was missing the challenge of Talk Radio he had developed at Millennium. Harrington accused him of constantly moaning his frustration at tightly formatted radio. meehan said he would try it for three weeks.

Meehan has had a series of female presenters/producers who further developed their careers on his Morning Show.,such as Colette Fitzpatrick (TV3) Claire Byrne (Newstalk) Jenny Kelly (Today FM) Sharon Tobin (RTE TV) Tracy Clifford (Spin) Lauren Kelly (Spin)

Bob Gallico, Greg Gaughran Joe Harrington. David Dennihy

Radio Ireland/Today FM 1997 onwards Bob Gallico, Ian Dempsey, Tony Fenton Tom Hardy Martin King