Darragh O’Dea: The Irishman who walked into an Aussie pub and achieved a radio dream

917 The Wave's Darrah O'Dea. Image supplied.

An Irishman walks into a bar in Perth and meets a Kiwi.

Sounds like the premise for a pretty good yarn, right? As well it should, because it set Darragh O’Dea on a course for true love – both in radio, and in life.

This month, Darragh celebrates three years of hosting Afternoons at 917 The Wave in Mandurah.

Winning Best Local Show (Small Category) at the recent inaugural Australian Audio Awards was the icing on the cake.

It marks the culmination of a remarkable radio journey which started in 1988, when Darragh was a fifteen-year-old boy in Ireland, hosting weekend overnights on a radio station housed in a garden shed.

It was there he discovered the likes of Lloyd Cole, Deacon Blue, Steely Dan and John Farnham.

“The turntables weren’t instant start, so you had to pull the record back a quarter turn before hitting play,” Darragh remembers.

“We were fancy though. We had cart machines and one CD player for the four CDs we owned.”

Darragh decided he’d be a DJ for a while and avoid getting a ‘real’ job.

“I did briefly sell mobile phones, although back then they were the size of a small house and if you were leaving home for more than an hour you brought a spare battery.”

But radio won his heart.

“Over the next 30-plus years I worked at some brilliant stations with some brilliant people.”

“You know that feeling? When everyone is pulling in the same direction, whether you’re on Breakfast or weekends, and the only goal is getting to #1.”

“I’ve also worked at stations where you question your life choices daily, but somehow the second the microphone goes live, all of that disappears. I think we have all been there at one time or another.”

Darragh says he was lucky enough to spend time at some great stations over those three decades, including Dublin’s 98FM and Q102, where met one Sue Carter … the very same Sue Carter who is now Head of Content at ARN’s Gold Network.

In 2015, during a trip to WA, Darragh met his future wife, Roisin. They began their married life in Ireland.

In 2020, Roisin returned to WA to visit family. It was only meant to be for three weeks. But – thanks to COVID – she didn’t get back to Ireland until six months later.

Like so many others, the COVID years made them rethink their life.

“Decision made. Let’s move to Australia. Be closer to family and maybe experience a summer that isn’t a random Tuesday in July,” Darragh remembers.

New country. New start. New career?

Darragh briefly thought about doing something other than radio. Instead, he started sending out demos.

“Anyone who has ever chased radio jobs knows the outcome,” he says. “No reply, no vacancy, hold on file, that perfect demo wasn’t that perfect.”

Enter Sue Carter.

“Sue was incredible and helped me navigate Aussie radio,” Darragh says. “Endless emails, advice, demo critiques and honest feedback about Australian radio. She played a huge role in helping me find my feet.”

He sent out more demos. Made more phone calls. All whilst asking himself questions like Does community radio pay? Am I too old to be a panel op on a talk station?

“When you love radio, you tend to want to do anything to keep yourself in there.”

Darragh spoke to everyone from Nova to 6iX.

“One programmer even told me I’d managed to fit every Australian cliché imaginable into a single demo.”

Eventually some casual work came along at 6iX.

Then came the call that changed everything.

91.7 The Wave in Mandurah needed someone for an eight-week long service leave cover.

“I kept calling, kept sending demos, and eventually John De Bellis gave me a shot.”

Those eight weeks never really ended.

Darragh says the basics of radio are the same everywhere.

“Although getting used to announcers instead of jocks, and talk breaks instead of links, took a while.”

“The Irish accent seems to work. I don’t take myself too seriously. I talk about everyday life, the things listeners encounter every day, and I genuinely love the music. Throw in a few promotions, some big station events and a great audience, and it’s hard not to enjoy yourself.”

Entering the Australian Audio Awards was something he was always keen to do.  

“Mostly to see if my peers thought Yeah, this bloke’s alright.”

Getting nominated, he says, was a real ‘wow’ moment. Next thing he knew, Darragh was on a plane to Sydney.

“Then somehow I’m standing there hearing my name called as Best Local Radio Show in Australia.”

West Coast Radio Group Content Director Nick Morgan says the win was a major achievement, not just for Darragh, but for local radio as a whole.

“It proves that local, independent radio is alive and well and punching above its weight. In a world full of streaming algorithms and networked radio, local shows like this cut through the noise and connect with people.”

For an Irish guy from a country that could fit comfortably into the average Australian backyard, it was a surreal experience.

“Today the award sits beside my monitors while I schedule music and try and not get pinged for too many failures,” Darragh says.

“As I work, next to me are photos of my Kiwi, our two kids, my Radio Today wall planner and a big Corrs concert poster that still keeps me connected to home.”

Today, he considers Mandurah his home.

“I’ve been here long enough that 20 degrees feels cold, which would qualify as a heatwave in Ireland.”

Darragh encourages anyone thinking of entering next year’s Australian Audio Awards next year to just do it.

“It was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my career and a reminder that radio people still care deeply about this medium,” he says.

And radio?

“There’s still no better feeling than being on-air. I made a comment to another radio head a couple of years back and called them an anorak! What’s an anorak???? I still have a few things to learn about Aussie radio it seems,” he laughs.

“A final thank you to the people who gave advice, direction, encouragement and simply took the time to help another radio jock along the way – Sue Carter, Steve Ahern, Mark Robinson, Tim Arnold, Brad Pottinger, Dan Underhill, John De Bellis and Nick Morgan.”

“Forty years ago, I was playing records with my mates and dreaming about radio. Most of my friends became accountants, bankers, actuaries and marketing people.”

“I’m still a DJ. And I still love it.”

Images supplied.