WROL Irish’s roots go back to September 1967, when “The Irish Hour” first aired on radio station WRYT (950 AM), a one-hour block dedicated to Irish music. Over time, the show evolved into the “John Latchford Show” and grew to fill a major portion of the Saturday broadcast schedule.
Latchford’s enthusiastic on-air presence, coupled with his knowledge of traditional and popular Irish music, provided singular and infectious content for Irish and Irish-American music enthusiasts. The result was a marvelous match for a thirsty “Boston Irish” listening audience.
The ongoing success of Irish programming led to the birth of “The Irish Hit Parade.” Paul Sullivan became a host, having worked at the station — and on the program — as a commercial producer and announcer since 1977. When Latchford retired in 1986, Sullivan moved to the early Saturday daypart (9am–12pm) to present the Saturday Irish Hit Parade, a role he continues to this day.
In the past couple of years, we’ve welcomed some new faces to the station. Kevin Chrisom joins Sullivan on Saturdays (12pm–3pm). Kevin has a strong passion for preserving and promoting Irish culture, heritage, and spirit, and is committed to ensuring these traditions thrive for the next generation.
On Saturday evenings (3pm–6pm), we have Bobby Brooks. Bobby’s love for Irish music began in the late ’80s listening to Paul Sullivan. As Bobby proudly says, “Irish music is what feeling sounds like.”
Marty Simmons is our On Deck Host. The youngest on the bench, Marty has deep ties to WROL as a longtime listener. He grew up attending Catholic schools such as St. Agatha’s and Archbishop Williams before continuing his education at UMass Boston, and then joined us on the Irish Hit Parade. Marty is excited to bring a modern twist to WROL!
And lastly, we have Joe Reardon on Sundays (12pm–3pm). A lifelong resident of Milton, Joe grew up listening to the Irish Hit Parade with his grandmother, where his love of Irish music first took root. Since then, he has come to know and cherish the richness and significance of Irish music in his personal life, in the community, and through his work as a funeral director.
Joe often reminds listeners of the words of Fionn mac Cumhaill: “The finest music is the music of what happens.” For Joe, those words capture the very heart of Irish music — the stories we inherit, the people we love, the moments we share, and the songs that help us remember.
We are proud to be the only Irish radio station of its kind in the United States offering traditional Irish music and entertainment.