Later this month, one of Galway’s most familiar and much-loved voices turns 30. Flirt FM 101.3, the University of Galway’s student, community and alternative radio station, will celebrate three decades on air with a weekend of music, memories, and merriment — the perfect tribute to a broadcaster that has been a constant companion to students, locals, and music lovers since 1995.
The official birthday falls on Sunday 28 September 2025, but the celebrations will get underway the evening before, in classic Flirt style: with live shows, laughter, and a proper Galway party.
A weekend to remember
From midday on Saturday 27 September, the doors of Studio One in Áras na Mac Léinn will be wide open for a drop-in live broadcast. Listeners and visitors alike can expect a carousel of conversations as current and former volunteers share their stories of life behind the mic. Each guest will pick a song that represents their time on air, a musical time capsule charting three decades of campus radio.
The afternoon will not be all about nostalgia for grown-ups. Between 2 and 4pm, families bringing along their little ones will find games and craft activities to keep younger generations entertained while the airwaves hum with memories.
At 5pm, a special treat: the premiere of “Galway 95”, a brand-new documentary funded by Coimisiún na Meán. Rather than retelling the history of the station, this project casts an eye back to the city and campus life at the time Flirt FM was first licensed. Produced by a team of media students all born after 2000, the film promises a fresh perspective on how Galway has changed — and what’s remained delightfully the same — since the mid-90s. Listeners in Galway can tune in at 101.3 FM, while anyone further afield can stream from flirtfm.ie or their smart device.
As evening draws in, celebrations will move across campus to Sult, the university bar. A buffet, comedy bingo, and DJ sets from Flirt alumni and current volunteers will keep spirits high into the night. More than just a party, it’s a chance for old friends to reunite, new faces to mingle, and for everyone who has ever been part of Flirt’s story to look ahead to its future. (Tickets available via Eventbrite: flirtfmis30.eventbrite.ie ). Under the creative and inspirational management of Paula Healy, Flirt has become a solid fixture in the Irish radio landscape, with amazing innovation forming a launchpad for many a broadcaster.
From rag week to fm frequency
The station’s journey began in the late 1980s, when students at what was then UCG dipped their toes into temporary broadcasting with RAG Week station UCG FM. The appetite for something more permanent grew, and by 1993, the newly founded Radio Society was pushing hard for a full-time student radio service.
Their timing was fortuitous. Then-Minister for Broadcasting, Michael D. Higgins, was championing community radio in its infancy. With the backing of Seán Mac Íomhair (Director of A/V Services ) and Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh (Vice-President of UCG ), an application was lodged jointly by UCG and Galway RTC (now ATU ).
On 28 September 1995, the dream became reality. Flirt FM first crackled to life on 105.6 FM as part of the Independent Radio and Television Commission’s pilot scheme for community radio. The name itself was born of a competition: while “Vox” was the first suggestion, it was future station manager Keith Wallace whose winning entry, Flirt FM, stuck. Depending on who you ask, the name stands for Fully Licensed Independent Radio Transmission or the tongue-in-cheek mantra, For Lots of Information, Read the Flipping Manual.
Those early years were raw, resourceful, and real. With no automation systems, RAG Week marathons required volunteers to cover every single overnight slot. The dedication of its first managers — Andrew Ó Baoill, Fiona McNulty, Yvonne Igoe, and others — laid the foundation for the vibrant, volunteer-driven station that still thrives today.
Growing up, staying true
By 2006, Flirt FM had matured enough to secure a new ten-year licence from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. A new frequency, 101.3 FM, followed, along with the relocation of its transmitter to Tonabrocky Hill overlooking the city. Broadcast hours expanded, volunteers multiplied, and the station’s role as Galway’s student and alternative voice deepened.
The next big leap came in 2009 with the move into brand-new studios in Áras na Mac Léinn. On opening day, none other than Michael D. Higgins returned to cut the ribbon. That photograph, Higgins smiling beside the station’s gleaming new sound desk, still hangs proudly in the Flirt hallway.
Partnerships with university departments flourished, especially with Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge and the Department of Journalism, cementing Flirt’s role as both a training ground and a launchpad for young broadcasters. Under University of Galway broadcasting lecturers Lelia Doolan and Bernadette Prendergast of Galway Bay fm, students cut their teeth on radio by producing a weekly talk show which was a key part of its schedule. Its 20th anniversary in 2015 was marked with a special broadcast, a gala dinner, and a silent disco — all of which now seem like warm-up acts for this year’s milestone.
Weathering storms
Of course, no station survives 30 years without a few hiccups. Floods, power cuts, broken transmitters, and even vital cables accidentally chopped through — Flirt FM has endured them all.
Then came March 2020. Like the rest of the world, the station’s volunteers left campus suddenly, expecting to return within weeks. Instead, they spent more than a year recording shows from bedrooms and kitchen tables, keeping Galway entertained and informed from afar. At one point, Flirt even went 24/7 for the first time, a lifeline for a community stuck indoors.
The pandemic also birthed one of Flirt’s proudest innovations: the Community Takeover. Remote recording meant that groups who previously couldn’t travel to the studio could finally broadcast their voices. Today, more than 40 community groups take part annually, making Flirt’s schedule more inclusive and representative than ever.
The station even managed to mark its 25th anniversary in 2020 with a socially distanced 25-hour broadcast marathon, linking alumni from Paris, California, Vietnam, and Mayo live via Zoom — proof that Flirt’s spirit is stronger than any lockdown.
Looking ahead
Now, in 2025, Flirt FM broadcasts weekdays from 11am until 4am, with weekend programming and a 24/7 web stream ensuring that listeners can always tune in. Its three core staff members, supported by interns, manage a revolving cast of up to 150 volunteers each year.
The station continues to champion new Irish music, local talent, and diverse voices, while also training the next generation of broadcasters. Recent innovations include digital badges with CELT, giving students formal recognition for their radio skills, and a new digital desk in Studio 2, ensuring volunteers gain hands-on experience with industry-standard equipment.
Community partnerships remain central. From Foróige and Shining Light to the Baboró International Arts Festival for Children and the Office of the Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Flirt FM has cemented its role as both a cultural hub and a community builder.
To its listeners, Flirt FM has always been more than a station. It is where countless students found their voice in broadcasting, where musicians got their first spins, where late-night conversations over tea and duct-taped equipment turned into lifelong friendships.
It’s also a survivor. Thirty years of highs and lows, but always with the same ethos: radio by students, for students — and for Galway.
Time to celebrate
As the big weekend approaches, there’s a buzz in the air across campus and the city. Former volunteers are booking their trips back to Galway, current students are preparing their playlists, and the Flirt team is bracing for one of the biggest parties in its history.
Because while Flirt FM is about microphones, transmitters, and studios, at its heart it’s about people: the 1,000+ volunteers who have stepped behind the mic, the thousands of guests who’ve joined them, and the listeners who’ve tuned in faithfully for three decades.
So whether you’re dropping by Studio One, tuning in to Galway 95, or raising a glass at Sult, the message is simple: Happy 30th, Flirt FM. Here’s to the next 30.
