The Mobile Recording Unit was established in 1947 and was equipped with a disc recorder.
Labhrás Ó Cadhla sings 'Na Conairígh'. This recording was made on acetate disc in September 1948 at the singer's home in Cappoquin, Waterford.
On 5 September 1948, Séamus Ennis recorded on acetate disc 15 songs and stories of sean-nós singer and pipes player Labhrás Ó Cadhla, in his home in Cappoquin, County Waterford.
The Mobile Recording Unit with disc recorder was introduced in 1947.
Séamus Ennis and Seán MacReamoinn were appointed the first two outside broadcasting officers. Proinnsias Ó Conluain and later Ciarán MacMathúna became broadcasting officers at a later date.
The idea of the outside broadcasting unit was primarily to record speech and music in Irish-speaking areas. Their first trip was to County Kerry, taking a trip out to Valentia Island and visiting the house of author and renowned story-teller, Peig Sayers in Dunquin. With the arrival of two recording unit vans in 1948, the unit was able to tour throughout Ireland and also to Gaelic-speaking locations in Scotland, Wales and Cornwall.
