Alan Ireland, former Sales Manager at 2KY, passed away earlier this year on the Gold Coast at the age of 88.

Ireland worked for 2KY, principally under manager Ray Hood in the 70’s and 80’s, in the flambouyant Potts Point building shaped like a radio (pictured below).

Former colleague Stephen O’Shea remembered Alan Ireland for radioinfo:

Alan George Ireland started off in commercial radio as a technician at 2KY in Sydney in the early 1950’s.

In 1956 he moved to 3NE Wangaratta to try his luck in the country.   He stayed about 12 months before the call of the city lured him back to 2KY where he remained until he retired to the Gold Coast in the
mid 1990’s.    While he enjoyed technical work he was crafty enough to realise that there was more money to be made in selling advertising.  Alan posessed natural attributes that contributed to his great success as a
salesman…….. he always made the other person feel important…. he sold himself before selling his product…. he he did not give his client the chance to say no and always left the door open for a return visit. 

He held 2KY manager Les Hood in high esteem and learnt a lot from him. He was also a sound back up for Ray Hood when he succeeded his father as 2KY manager.

Alan was always interested in horse racing (2KY’s major program) and was a close friend of leading race caller Ian Craig. He also teamed up with partner Shiela for a Saturday morning tipping segment as Uncle Dick and Aunty Dora which ran for many years.

Tributes from radioinfo readers say Ireland was the consummate “old style” radio salesman, he knew so many people, and he always knew where to look for a dollar.

As well as being a great salesman Alan Ireland was also known as a great OB tech for 2KY, getting race meetings on air from many grounds around Sydney.

“Commercial Radio has sadly lost another real character and a good bloke. He will be sadly missed,” said one of our readers.  

2KY’s Potts Point building in the 1970s