Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Steve Thompson's life long love of music has seen him amass the largest private record and tape collection in Ireland.
Steve Thompson's hobby is immediately apparent to anyone walking into the home he shares with his wife Colette in Limerick.
Every square inch of space has been requisitioned to house his record and tape collection that has been a quarter of a century in the making, the largest one of its kind in Ireland.
Over twelve thousand tapes and records reside on his shelves, with many rare and valuable recordings collected during his time in the United States, when he worked as an electrician at O'Hare Airport in Chicago.
There are many early recordings in his collection too, such as Caruso's Pagliacci from the opera Pagliacci, accompanied on piano by the composer Ruggero Leoncavallo. These were donated to him following a chance meeting with an elderly record collector many years ago, who knew Steve Thompson would appreciate them.
He gave me the whole collection, he had no family of his own.
Now retired Steve Thompson is bringing out a catalogue of his material and would like other collectors to get in touch with him. He believes there is a place for an Irish record collectors' magazine,
Where collectors in Ireland would have a voice in stuff like this. For instance people that may have records of their own that they would like to trade.
Personal favourites in his collection belong to the 'Golden Age of Entertainment' section from the period 1930 - 1955. One item of interest is a recording from 'Philco Radio Time - The Bing Crosby Show' made in 1947 which features Bing Crosby and Al Jolson together for the first time on radio.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 23 September 1986.
The reporter is Michael Walsh.
Steve Thompson's life long love of music has seen him amass the largest private record and tape collection in Ireland.
Steve Thompson's hobby is immediately apparent to anyone walking into the home he shares with his wife Colette in Limerick.
Every square inch of space has been requisitioned to house his record and tape collection that has been a quarter of a century in the making, the largest one of its kind in Ireland.
Over twelve thousand tapes and records reside on his shelves, with many rare and valuable recordings collected during his time in the United States, when he worked as an electrician at O'Hare Airport in Chicago.
There are many early recordings in his collection too, such as Caruso's Pagliacci from the opera Pagliacci, accompanied on piano by the composer Ruggero Leoncavallo. These were donated to him following a chance meeting with an elderly record collector many years ago, who knew Steve Thompson would appreciate them.
He gave me the whole collection, he had no family of his own.
Now retired Steve Thompson is bringing out a catalogue of his material and would like other collectors to get in touch with him. He believes there is a place for an Irish record collectors' magazine,
Where collectors in Ireland would have a voice in stuff like this. For instance people that may have records of their own that they would like to trade.
Personal favourites in his collection belong to the 'Golden Age of Entertainment' section from the period 1930 - 1955. One item of interest is a recording from 'Philco Radio Time - The Bing Crosby Show' made in 1947 which features Bing Crosby and Al Jolson together for the first time on radio.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 23 September 1986.
The reporter is Michael Walsh.
