2RN
{{about|the early Irish radio station|the Australian station|ABC Radio National|the RTÉ Broadcasting Network|2RN (RTÉ Networks)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=April 2014}}
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 (later Radio Éireann; now known as RTÉ Radio). The station was run by the Irish Post Office, under the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and first transmitted from 1 January 1926 from Little Denmark Street until 1928 when they moved to the GPO.{{cite book |last1=Ferguson |first1=Stephen |title=The Post Office in Ireland: An Illustrated History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hV1mDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22little+denmark+street%22+dublin&pg=PT562 |publisher=Merrion Press |access-date=26 June 2024 |language=en |date=26 July 2018|isbn=978-1-78855-054-3 }}
The station's name has since been repurposed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann for the identity of their broadcasting network (formerly RTÉ Transmission Network Ltd) since 2013.
Studios and wavelengths
The original studio for 2RN was located at Little Denmark Street, off Henry Street in Dublin.{{cite web
| title = RTÉ Libraries and Archives – Irish Public Service Broadcasting – 1920s
| publisher = RTÉ
| url = http://www.rte.ie/laweb/brc/brc_1920s.html
| access-date =2007-07-17| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070716200055/http://www.rte.ie/laweb/brc/brc_1920s.html| archive-date= 16 July 2007 | url-status= live}} In October 1928 the station moved into the newly rebuilt GPO acquiring three new studios. The first director was Seamus Clandillon, who served from 1926 to 1934.{{cite book|last1=Boylan|first1=Shaun|title=Dictionary of Irish Biography|last2=Ní Mhunghaile|first2=Lesa|date=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|editor1-last=McGuire|editor1-first=James|location=Cambridge|chapter=Clandillon, Seamus ('Clan')|editor2-last=Quinn|editor2-first=James}}{{cite web|last1=Carolan|first1=Nicholas|title=From 2RN to International Meta-Community: Irish National Radio and Traditional Music|url=https://journalofmusic.com/focus/2rn-international-meta-community-irish-national-radio-and-traditional-music|access-date=8 December 2020|website=The Journal of Music|language=en}}
The 1.5 Kilowatt Marconi transmitter{{cite book
| last = Sexton
| first = Michael
| title = Marconi: the Irish connection
| publisher = Four Courts Press
| date = 2005
| pages = 104
| isbn = 1-85182-841-9}} was located at McKee Barracks, near the Phoenix Park.
The station initially broadcast on 380 metres (790 kHz), although the choice of this wavelength led to complaints from members of the public as, due to the limitations of the receiver technology of the time, transmissions led to interference to and by other stations, especially 6BM in Bournemouth and the Hamburg radio station.{{cite book
| last = Pine
| first = Robert
| title = 2RN and the origins of Irish Radio
| publisher = Four Courts Press
| date = 2005
| pages = 143
| isbn = 1-85182-604-1}}
Reception of the station for many Irish listeners outside Dublin was problematic, although even at the time of the inception of the station, there were plans for a high-power transmitter to serve the whole country. In 1927 the Cork broadcasting station 6CK was established, which relayed many of 2RN's programmes, as well as contributing programmes to the network.
Initially the station broadcast three hours a night, from 19:30 to 22:30, with only a two-hour broadcast on Sunday nights.{{cite web
|title = Dáil Éireann - Volume 14 - 28 January, 1926. COMMITTEE ON FINANCE. - SUPPLEMENTARY AND ADDITIONAL ESTIMATES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES. VOTE 66—WIRELESS BROADCASTING.
|url = http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0014/D.0014.192601280039.html
|access-date = 2007-07-13
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110607092455/http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0014/D.0014.192601280039.html
|archive-date = 7 June 2011
|url-status = dead
}}
Notes
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