Back from left, Anthony Dolan EI6GGB, Owen O’Reilly EI4GGB, Tom Nevin EI4HCB, Cyril Moriarty EI4AGB, Andy McCarthy EI7IOB, Marty Grady EI2IAB; (front) Patrick O’Connor EI9HX, Enda Broderick EI2II, Larry McGriskin EI9CN (IRTS President), Keith Nolan EI5IN, Joe McCormack EI2ISB.

Shannon Basin Radio Club AGM 2022

Shannon Basin Radio Club is an amateur radio club affiliated with the Irish Radio Transmitters Society. Club members are primarily from the midlands and west of Ireland, but membership is open to all.

Club activities cover a range of amateur radio related areas, such as attempting to make as many contacts as possible from hill-top locations using temporary radio station set ups and communicating via satellites.

The club also help teach Scouts and other groups about wireless communication involving a blend of fun activities and demonstrating how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics make radio work.

The club held their 2022 AGM on Friday December 9 in the Abbey Road Artists Studios in Athlone. They welcomed Larry McGriskin (EI9CN), president of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society as guest of honour.

The club officers are Patrick O’Connor EI9HX (chair), Owen O’Reilly EI4GGB (secretary) , Anthony Dolan EI6GGB (treasurer), Keith Nolan EI5IN (PRO), Marty Grady EI2IAB (youth officer), and Tom Nevin EI4HCB (safety officer).

The number of members that could attend was reduced because of weather conditions, but the night was enjoyable and a lot of topics were covered.

Anyone interested in the hobby and Shannon Basin Radio Club can contact the club and learn more at sbrc.ie; see also, irts.ie.

About amateur radio

Amateur radio is a popular technical hobby and volunteer public service that uses designated radio frequencies for non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communications.

Amateur radio in Ireland goes back to experiments in radio transmission and reception carried out in Wicklow in 1898.

Amateur radio stations are licensed by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), and to get a licence, station owners have to pass an exam.

There are approximately 2.6 million licensed radio amateurs across the world.

The Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS), the national amateur radio society for Ireland, was formed more than 90 years ago and has more than 1,000 members.

It is the member for Ireland of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), which has some 160 national amateur radio societies as members and represents the interests of the amateur radio service worldwide.