A new national independent radio station Radio Ireland goes on air for the first time.
A thousand invited guests were at the Jervis Street Shopping Centre for the launch of the new broadcaster Radio Ireland. The event also included a pre-recorded message from President Mary Robinson. The party took place in the shopping centre which is located in the same block as the Radio Ireland studios.
After long preparations, the station was finally going on air. Radio Ireland Chairman John McColgan says that in the last few weeks most of the staff at the new station have been putting in 18 hour days in preparation for going live. John McColgan says that the programming at the station will offer something different to RTÉ for listeners.
Just after midnight, in the middle of the shopping centre, a glass wall was unveiled to reveal the station's presenters including Emily O'Reilly, Clíona Ní Bhuachalla, Ann Marie Hourihane and Eamon Dunphy.
The transmission system for the station will cover around 96 per cent of the population and was designed and constructed by the RTÉ Network Group.
How many in that population will tune in won't be known for some weeks.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 17 March 1997. The reporter is Colm Connolly.
