“A Predator in Plain Sight”: New podcast revisits the crimes of one of Ireland’s most prolific child abusers
- Love Ballymena
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
A new true-crime podcast has revisited the disturbing story of former pirate radio DJ Eamon Cooke, shedding fresh light on how one of Ireland’s most prolific child sexual abusers was able to evade justice for decades while operating in full public view.
Released by the team behind several acclaimed investigative productions, Pirate Predator examines the life and crimes of Cooke, the founder of the once hugely popular Radio Dublin pirate station, and explores new evidence and testimony from victims and survivors of abuse.
The series paints a deeply troubling picture of a man who used his public profile and influence within Ireland’s pirate radio scene during the 1970s and 1980s to gain access to vulnerable children and young people.
Cooke was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for child sexual abuse offences. He died in 2016.
How a pirate radio empire became a hunting ground
Eamon Cooke outside studio in backyard of Wheatfields Court, 2001. (Credit Collins)
At the height of the pirate radio boom, Cooke was a well-known figure in Dublin broadcasting circles and was widely recognised by listeners as “Captain Cooke”.
Operating Radio Dublin from his home in Inchicore, he built a loyal following and cultivated an image as an eccentric but influential figure within the underground radio scene.
According to the podcast, that reputation provided cover for years of abuse.
Victims and survivors describe how Cooke allegedly used the station and its activities to attract children to his home, where he would build relationships of trust before abusing them and intimidating them into silence.
The podcast alleges that some of these offences took place while the radio station itself was broadcasting from the property.
It also explores how allegations and rumours surrounding Cooke circulated publicly for many years before criminal convictions were eventually secured.
New testimony from victims and those who pursued justice
The series includes interviews with survivors of abuse as well as individuals involved in bringing Cooke to justice.
Those involved in the investigations describe a figure who, for decades, appeared to operate beyond accountability despite concerns and allegations existing within parts of the community.
The programme examines the systems, attitudes and circumstances that allowed Cooke to continue offending over such a prolonged period.
It also seeks to understand how warning signs were missed or ignored and why victims were left without protection for so long.
Links to one of Ireland’s most enduring mysteries
Among the most significant elements explored in the series are the alleged connections between Cooke and the disappearance of schoolboy Philip Cairns, who vanished from Rathfarnham in Dublin in 1986.
Philip’s disappearance remains one of Ireland’s best-known unsolved missing persons cases.
The podcast does not claim to solve the mystery but examines information and allegations that have surfaced over the years concerning possible links between Cooke and the case.
The series also investigates Cooke’s interactions with other notorious abusers of the era, including British television personality Jimmy Savile.
‘Ireland’s Jimmy Savile’
Writer and narrator Peter Mulryan said he had wanted to make the series for many years in an effort to understand how Cooke had escaped justice for so long.
He said:
“I’ve wanted to make this series for a long time to understand why a man who appears to have been one of Ireland’s most prolific abusers got away with it for so long.
“Cooke used Radio Dublin to get access to children. He was a predator in plain sight, Ireland’s Jimmy Savile, and his reign of abuse went on for decades, right under everyone’s noses.”
Available to listen now
Pirate Predator has been produced by the RTÉ Doc on One team, which previously created award-winning podcast series including First Conviction, Runaway Joe and Stolen Sister.
The podcast is available now through RTÉ’s Radio Player service and other major podcast platforms.
For many listeners, the series is likely to reopen difficult questions about institutional failures, missed opportunities and how prolific abusers were able to operate in communities for years without intervention.
For survivors and their families, it represents another attempt to ensure their experiences are heard and that the lessons from the past are not forgotten.
