Runaway Joe
Hosted by Peter Mulryan and Roz Purcell and Ruth Negga · RTÉ Documentary on One
4.7from 182 ratings
- 100
- Episodes
- 37
- Transcribed
- 182
- Ratings
- Daily
- Cadence
- 2020
- First episode
- 374M
- YouTube views
About Runaway Joe
Pirate Predator tells the story of Eamon Cooke, a man of many faces who, on one hand, became a cult like figure - filling a void for disillusioned youth through Radio Dublin in the 1970s and 1980s- while on the other became one of Ireland's most prolific child sexual abusers. Narrated by Peter Mulryan, who encountered Cooke in the 1980s, Pirate Predator uncovers the chilling true story of 'Captain Cooke' and how he used the cover of pirate radio to groom and abuse, hiding a decades-long reign of terror in plain sight. This series features scenes of child sex abuse. If affected by any issues raised, please visit rte.ie/helplines If you have any information or knowledge about this story, please email us documentaries@rte.ie. Previous RTÉ Documentary On One series include Stolen Sister, Where is Jón?, The Real Carrie Jade, Runaway Joe, Finding Samantha, First Consignment, GunPlot, Tiger Roll and The Nobody Zone.
- Publisher
- RTÉ Documentary on One
- Category
- society & culture · true crime
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 11 Feb 2020
- Latest episode
- 23 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
37 of 100 episodes have a transcript.
23 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Philip Cairns New Development
29 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
Pirate Predator: Bonus - Tips and Full Statements
22 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
Pirate Predator: 07 - Endgame
Inside a recent episode
Philip Cairns New Development
Published 23 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] He got involved in radio and television repair. He ran a shop on Thomas Street in Dublin. And it's from that that he kind of segued eventually into the pirate radio scene, which was really growing in the mid 70s in Dublin. And with Radio Dublin, it was a pirate radio station. It broadcasted illegally, but nevertheless, it garnered a big audience. Oh, huge. Just how big was Radio Dublin? Monster. I mean, it's very hard for me to explain this because we're now 50 years on. But back then, there was one radio station, Radio Erin, and that was kind of it, really. So if you wanted to listen to pop music or anything, trendy, you could listen to maybe the BBC, maybe Radio Caroline, they were very scratchy, maybe Radio Luxembourg. […]
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See plansReach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 373,663,812
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.7 / 5
- 182 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 63 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 49
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 93
- Engagement
- 97
Questions about Runaway Joe
Who hosts Runaway Joe?
Peter Mulryan and Roz Purcell and Ruth Negga host the show. Published by RTÉ Documentary on One.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Where can I read transcripts?
37 of 100 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
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