Maghera transmission site
| Maghera | |
|---|---|
| Cnoc an Ois | |
  Maghera Location in Ireland | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Coordinates | 52°58′07″N 8°43′06″W / 52.968554°N 8.718311°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | County Clare, Ireland |
| Parent range | Slieve Aughty |
The Maghera transmission site is situated on a 400m high mountain (Template:Lang-ga)[1] located in the north of County Clare, Ireland. It is home to one of 2RN's network of radio and television transmitters.
The Maghera television transmitter initially opened in February 1963 on low power before becoming fully operational on 10 September 1963. It was one of the five original Telefís Éireann main transmitters the others being, Mullaghanish, Kippure, Truskmore and Mount Leinster. The transmitter originally carried the 625 line television service on VHF channel B, changing to channel E in 1999, with UHF channels being added in 1996 and 1999. The new RTÉ Radio FM service was added in 1966, and more FM radio stations were added over the years. To date no DAB services have been broadcast from the site, instead the DAB Ireland Mux1 (RTÉ) service is broadcast from 2RN's transmitter at Woodcock Hill near Limerick city.
The original 1963 mast was replaced in 2011 with a 147 metre tall cable-stayed steel lattice mast that would enhance its service area for the start of digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting. All analogue television transmissions from the site ended on 24 October 2012, and since then the Irish digital television service Saorview, has been broadcast from the site in addition to six national FM radio networks and a number of local radio services. Maghera's service area is the West of Ireland, covering counties Clare and Galway, as well as parts of counties Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Tipperary and Mayo.
Current transmissions
Digital television
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Multiplex | Pol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 690 MHz | 48 | 160 | Saorview 1 | H |
| 746 MHz | 55 | 160 | Saorview 2 | H |
Analogue FM radio
| Frequency | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 88.8 MHz | 160 | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| 91.0 MHz | 160 | RTÉ 2fm |
| 98.4 MHz | 160 | RTÉ lyric fm |
| 93.2 MHz | 160 | RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta |
| 96.4 MHz | 5 | Clare FM |
| 100.6 MHz | 160 | Today FM |
| 104.6 MHz | 50 | 4fm |
| 107.6 MHz | 20 | Newstalk |
List of Maghera DTT relay transmitters
| Relay transmitter | County | Mux 1 | Mux 2 | kW | Pol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achill | Mayo | 47 | 44 | 2 | V |
| Ballina | Tipperary | 58 | 50 | 0.1 | V |
| Casla | Galway | 45 | 41 | 2.5 | V |
| Cliften | Galway | 26 | 23 | 5 | V |
| Cnoc an Óir | Kerry | 47 | 44 | 1.5 | V |
| Ennistimon | Clare | 52 | 56 | 0.02 | H |
| Tonabrocky | Galway | 26 | 23 | 0.25 | V |
