6CK
Encyclopedia
6CK was the first official radio station
in Cork
, Ireland
and formed part of the national radio service of the Irish Free State
. The station was set up in 1927 as an expansion of 2RN
, the national station established in Dublin the previous year.
6CK operated primarily as a local relay for 2RN as the signal from that station was too weak to be heard in Cork without much difficulty. However the station also had its own programmes and made a significant input to the national service.
The station was initiated by J.J. Walsh who was the first Postmaster General of the Irish Free State and was responsible for broadcasting, having launched the first station, 2RN, the previous year. Walsh had been a local TD
for Cork City and this may have influenced his decision to set up the station in Cork.
The station operated as 6CK for just under three years when it was subsumed into the national network which later became "Radio Éireann" and eventually Raidió Teilifís Éireann
(RTÉ). However the studios continued to produce a considerable amount of material for the national service and the transmitter continued as a local relay for many years.
The studios of 6CK were in a section of the old Cork Women's Prison in Sunday's Well. The prison had only been recently vacated, having been used as an overflow prison for political prisoners at the end of the Irish War of Independence.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and formed part of the national radio service of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. The station was set up in 1927 as an expansion of 2RN
2RN
2RN was the first radio broadcasting station in the Irish Free State. It began broadcasting on 1 January 1926 and continued until 1933, when it was succeeded by Radio Athlone...
, the national station established in Dublin the previous year.
6CK operated primarily as a local relay for 2RN as the signal from that station was too weak to be heard in Cork without much difficulty. However the station also had its own programmes and made a significant input to the national service.
The station was initiated by J.J. Walsh who was the first Postmaster General of the Irish Free State and was responsible for broadcasting, having launched the first station, 2RN, the previous year. Walsh had been a local TD
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for Cork City and this may have influenced his decision to set up the station in Cork.
The station operated as 6CK for just under three years when it was subsumed into the national network which later became "Radio Éireann" and eventually Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
(RTÉ). However the studios continued to produce a considerable amount of material for the national service and the transmitter continued as a local relay for many years.
The studios of 6CK were in a section of the old Cork Women's Prison in Sunday's Well. The prison had only been recently vacated, having been used as an overflow prison for political prisoners at the end of the Irish War of Independence.