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GAA Oral History Project Interview Report Form
Name of Joe Jordan Interviewer
Date of Interview 7th Feb 2011
Location Interviewee’s home, near Middletown, Co. Armagh
Name of Adrian Jordan (Nickname ‘Sid’) Interviewee (Maiden name / Nickname)
Biographical Summary of Interviewee
Gender Male
Born Year Born: 1970
Home County: Armagh
Education Primary: Middletown Boys School
Secondary: Armagh CBS Grammar; St. Patrick’s College Grammar School, Armagh)
Family Siblings: 3 sisters (Paula, Louise, Fionnuala)
Club(s) Middletown GAA Club [Armagh]
Occupation Hotel & Catering (Waiter & Bar Tender)
Parents’ Retired Ulster Bus Driver and Inspector [Father]; Chef Occupation [Mother]
Religion Roman Catholic
Political Affiliation / SDLP leaning, but not a member of any political party Membership
Other Club/Society N/A Membership(s)
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Date of Report 15 July 2012
Period Covered 1970s - 2011
Counties/Countries Armagh, USA, Americas, Kerry, Galway, Tipperary Covered
Key Themes Travel, Supporting, Grounds, Facilities, Playing, Training, Covered Managing, Coaching, Education, Religion, Media, Emigration, Involvement in GAA abroad, Role of Clergy, Role of Teachers, Role of Women, Role of the Club in the Community, Volunteers, GAA Abroad, Identity, Rivalries, All- Ireland, Club History, County History, Earliest Memories, Family Involvement, Childhood, Impact on Life, Career, Politics, Northern Ireland, The Troubles, Relationship with the Association, Socialising, Purchase of Grounds, Relationships, Economy / Economics
Interview Summary Adrian Jordan is a former hurler and footballer with Middletown GAA club, Co. Armagh. His introduction to Gaelic games came from his upbringing in a GAA family and his schooling at Middletown Primary School, where Gerry O’Neill, a former Armagh footballer, was Principal. Games were still infrequent and it was only when he attended the Christian Brothers Grammar school that his hurling and football life took off. Influenced by Br. Laurence Ennis, who coached all the school teams, he competed in many of the major colleges competitions, from Corn na nÓg (which he won) to MacRory Cup. Football in his youth was, he says, ‘full time work’: he combined training and playing in school and with the Middletown club. Among the distinctions during this period of his life was his selection as an Ulster Colleges ‘All-Star’ and he explains how he escaped school to attend the trials.
On the club front, Jordan discusses making his senior debut as a 15 year-old and then starting his first championship match against Mullaghbawn in 1987. He discusses the fortunes of the Middletown club in football and hurling through the late 1980s and 1990s. He reflects on the wider club scene in Armagh, on training methods at the time and the particular difficulties Middletown faced in trying to combine both football and hurling. In 1998, Jordan moved to America and he charts his GAA experiences in New York – where he played football and hurling with three clubs - and Key West Florida. He talks about the people he met, the competitions he played in and the overriding emphasis on work over Gaelic games in the United States. The interview concludes with memories of a childhood spent travelling in the company of Armagh teams,
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of a visit to Galway and meeting with Joe Cooney. In addition, there are reflections on his hurling days with the county and the changes in training methods since. However, he also looks to the future of the GAA and the prospects for encouraging greater cross-community participation in the north. He cites the importance of participation in the sport and the benefits to the individual and society.
00:00:05 Adrian Jordan introduces himself, giving his date of birth. Mentions being born in Killylea and his family’s move to Middletown when he was 3 or 4 years old.
00:00:30 Talks about being introduced to the GAA ‘at home’ among his family and refers to becoming a members of the GAA in Middletown.
00:00:50 Attending St. John’s, Middletown, where Gerry O’Neill was the headmaster. Comments that he had been a member of Armagh’s 1953 All-Ireland team and that he learned ‘the basic skills’ from him. O’Neill also introduced him to hurling.
00:01:20 Mentions playing underage hurling and football in Middletown from the age of 8 up. Continues to play – now for the Over 35s or ‘Master’s’ team.
00:01:45 Only games in primary school were against Glassdrummond Primary School ‘a couple of miles up the road’. It was ‘once a year’ fixture. Mentions also games on the school sports day.
00:02:30 Attending the Christian Brothers Grammar school, where, he says, his football and hurling really took off. His first year in the school was also the first year of Br. Laurence Ennis as headmaster in the school. ‘He was the coach of all the teams’.
00:03:112 Comments that the hurling would not have been as strong.
00:03:20 Talks about playing on the Dalton Cup team, the first year competition. Recalls a blitz in the grounds of St. Pat’s Armagh. Recalls also playing in the Corn na nÓg and beating Letterkenny in a final in Omagh – this was just an Ulster-based competition at the time.
00:04:30 Doesn’t recall too much about the Rannafast Cup, remarking that he has a better recollection of playing with his club at that stage.
00:04:50 Describes sport as a ‘full-time job’: training for
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football and hurling five nights a week after school, returning home for dinner and then down to Middletown for more football and hurling.
00:05:08 ‘Unlike today’, he observes, there would have 2 carloads for 15 or 16 lads.
00:05:50 Refers to some of his team-mates (and their clubs) on the successful Corn na nÓg team: Kevin McAuley, a Pearse Óg’s man, was captain. Others mentioned include Paul Kelly, Gary Harney, Joe Fagan, S. McGinn. Remarks that he was the only player from the Middletown area.
00:06:30 Talks about reaching a McLarnon Cup final on St. Patrick’s Day in Lurgan, losing to St. Louis from Glengormley. Mentions being corner forward on that occasion and being in 6th year at the time.
00:07:30 The amalgamation of the Christian Brothers and St. Pat’s College to become St. Pat’s Grammar school. Says he spent one year there and played MacRory Cup football, losing to St. Colman’s, Newry, in the quarter final.
00:07:58 Playing his first senior football and hurling game for Middletown aged 15. His first start was a Division 4 play-off against Clady, a game held in Keady. He came on a sub and they won narrowly.
00:08:45 Starting his first championship match against Mullaghbawn in 1987. Recalls reaching the final that year and being beaten by the Grange.
00:09:00 Talks about going in 1987 with the Christian Brothers to New York and Conneticut.
00:09:20 Getting to the Ulster Schools final in first year with St. Pat’s Grammar school, losing to St. Mary’s, Belfast. Discusses the positions he played with hurling and MacRory cup teams and explains the reason for being placed at corner forward against St. Colman’s in MacRory cup quarter final.
00:10:18 Tells a story about being denied permission to attend a hurling trial in Co. Antrim by Loughiel by Br. Kelly and being sneaked out the back door by Br. Ennis, so he could drive himself to the trial in Loughiel.
00:11:10 Describes the trial which was a selection from the ‘rest of Ulster’ against Ballymena school, which had just won an All-Ireland. Says he was ‘lucky enough’ to get picked on the Ulster Colleges team. It was an ‘All-Star’ and no games were played by the provincial side. Remarks that he was the
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first ‘All-Star’ from St. Pat’s Grammar School.
00:12:10 Playing (and losing) an Intermediate final against Mullaghbawn in 1992 and the following week playing a hurling final. Believes it was Kieran McGeeney who marked him for Mullaghbawn. Says that this was the beginning of a great Mullaghbawn team which would win senior championship and an Ulster championship.
00:13:00 Mentions the overlap in players on the hurling and football teams and the amount of training involved: ‘it was full- time work’. Contrasts it with later when players became more inclined to ‘pick and choose’.
00:13:27 Interviewer recalls a conversation with Benny Tierney who told him that the final against Middletown was Mullaghbawn’s 11th and they lost the previous 10.
00:13:40 Talks about being captain for the 1994 final against Madden, the quality of the Middletown team and the losing of the game. ‘Still have nightmares about’, he casually remarks.
00:14:50 Reflects on the preparations for the 1994 final. ‘It was a bit up and down’. Comments that Monaghan’s Gerry McCarville was a great coach, who ‘taught the basics well’. Refers also to John Morrison coming in near the end and the confusion as to who was in charge. Mentions also John McDonnell as a ‘good manager ‘who put ‘trust’ in the lads.
00:15:54 Comments on being 24 in 1994 and recalls an injury at the start of the final to Paddy Sheridan. Describes that Middletown team as ‘well balanced’ and reflects on various players such as Jimmy Gavin, Lappin, Sheridan, Arthur Hughes, Stephen and Alan Taylor. Considers that the team could have gone the way of Mullaghbawn had they won.
00:17:20 Discusses the difficulty of balancing the hurling and football, switching from one to the other. Says he would choose one for a couple of years if he had the chance again.
00:17:50 Remarks on the greater success enjoyed with the hurling team, winning county championships and reaching Ulster semi-finals.
00:18:13 Mentions playing against ‘some great men’ in football and hurling: refers to playing against James McCartan in MacRory Cup; Sambo McNaughton for Cushendall in Ulster smei-final; Kieran McGeeney, Brendan Tierney.
00:18:40 Talks about winning 1991 senior hurling
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championship. Reflects on hurling in Middletown and remarks on the rivalry with Keady.
00:19:45 Comments that he was ‘suspended’ for the 1996 final against Dromintee.
00:19:57 Reference to the hurling finals of 1992, 1993,
00:20:25 Comments on playing midfield in his first senior hurling championship final against Cu Chulainn’s. Says this marked the end of the Cú Chulainn’s era and it was replaced by the Middletown and Keady era. Remarks on the prospects of Cú Chulainn making a comeback and hopes they will make ‘a little bit more competitive.’
00:21:00 Interviewer speculates that it was the Christian Brothers who did the work for Cú Chulainn’s and that when they left there was nobody to do the work. ‘They almost folded...’
00:21:20 Reflects on the losing the 1996 football final to Dromintee, the third final lost. Mentions that it had been disheartening for some and others decided to concentrate more on hurling. Says the team didn’t recover after this final.
00:22:10 Talks about going to America in the 1998, working as a bartender in New York for Leslie McGettigan, previously a member of the Donegal senior team. Mentions meeting a lot of Donegal players through Leslie, including Martin McHugh.
00:22:55 Playing junior football for Armagh in New York, senior football for Cavan and senior hurling for Tipperary. Says he was invited onto a New York All-Star team in 1999, which returned ‘home’ to play Down in the Ulster championship. Remarks on not being able to return home with the team and the reason for it.
00:23:33 Remarks that the captain of the Tipperary team was All-Ireland medal winner, John Madden.
00:23:45 Moving from New York to Key West in Florida for a holiday and staying for five years. Talks about the 7-a-side tournaments in Fort Lauderdale and the teams that attended from across the U.S and Canada. Says that the year after 9/11, there weren’t as many teams travelling, but he got a team together from Key West. He captained the team and they made it to the semi-finals.
00:24:40 Recalls the wedding of Eddie Greenan, who was over the team with him, and inviting the Fort Lauderdale team to Key West to play a match. Believes it was the first Gaelic
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match in Key West. Talks about playing it on a Wednesday evening in hot conditions. Says it just happened that there were 15 Irish lads in Key West at that time.
00:25:55 They never played after that. Some of the lads returned to New York, others to Ireland. Wherever the work took them. Remarks that this was the end of his playing career in Key West where the focus was on work. Says that in America the football and hurling came ‘second to your work’ where it might be the opposite in Ireland.
00:26:50 Remarks that the quality of the grounds in the United States was less than what would exist in Ireland.
00:27:00 Reflects on being a child and getting a car to county games with Joe Jordan and others.
00:27:40 Recalls the 1980 Ulster final when Armagh beat Tyrone and his good fortune to be on the sideline with the players. Recalls also being in the dressing-room after final with Joe Kernan and others kissing the cup in the old dressing-rooms.
00:28:15 Mentions being in the dressing-rooms in Croke Park for big games and attending meals on the way home. Refers to being with another young lad, Gareth O’Neill, a son of the Armagh manager, Joe O’Neill. Recalls that Gareth and he were both about 10 years old.
00:28:40 Interviewer mentions that Joe O’Neill is a brother of Martin O’Neill, soccer player and manager.
00:28:55 Adrian recalls that there was no such thing as a kids feed – they had the ‘travellers feed’. Mentions that Joe Kernan would sit beside him and that they became friends. Talks about the food they received and mentions that he was more interested in the chips than the steak.
00:29:25 Reference to McKinstry who was never too far away – he was like ‘circling hawk’, looking to clean up the scraps.
00:29:33 Recalls an occasion when Armagh played Down in the league and kicking around with county senior players before the game. Said he would do the same in Malahide before they played in Croke Park.
00:30:17 Mentions that in 1980 Roscommon defeated Armagh in the All-Ireland semi-final and the dressing-rooms were in the old Cusack Stand.
00:30:28 Reference to Joey Donnelly being ‘man of the
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match’ in the Ulster final and the ‘famous Martin Murphy punch’.
00:30:40 Says that he was in Croke Park in the Cusack Stand with the family in 1980.
00:31:00 Memories of being in school and being asked on a Monday morning by Master O’Neill in front of the class about what they were talking about in the dressing-room, what players were doing etc.
00:31:25 Tells of being in Cavan for championship game against Monaghan and the half-time announcement that his 8 year old sister was lost – she followed the boy with the ice cream tray.
00:32:10 Being in the middle of the four in a row Kerry team in 1984, who were sitting in front of them during the Minor game. Talks about being a Kerry fan and describing Jack O’Shea as his ‘hero’. Says he got the whole Kerry team’s autograph before the game. Recalls Kerry winning that game and the impact of Timmy O’Dowd when he came on.
00:33:30 Mentions an occasion when a group from Middletown attended the Joe Cooney School of Hurling in Galway. Francie Casey and himself stayed with Michael Cooney, Joe’s brother.
00:33:50 Recalls having a puck around with Joe Cooney in Michael Cooney’s back yard. ‘It doesn’t get much better than that’.
00:34:10 Refers playing Tipperary and Kilkenny in junior hurling.
00:34:30 Refers to the friendships made with people across Armagh and other counties.
00:34:50 Tells story about playing Tipperary juniors in Tullamore. ‘Things were a little different in those days. We weren’t confined to barracks the night before’. Talks about going for pints on the night before.
00:35:30 Mentions that a lot of players would have gone for pints after training with the club. Contrasts with the way players train and prepare today. ‘The game’s taken a different turn’. Mentions the ‘crazy training’ that was done in the past, running up hills.
00:36:00 Talks about his brother doing physical work with the ball as a coach. Talks also about the input of Gerry
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McCarville and John Morrison in bringing ‘a whole new dimension’. Stresses the importance of training with the ball and its superiority over the old approach.
00:36:56 Considers the growing international reach of the GAA – America, England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Says the GAA is well organised and well run, but it always has the ‘begrudgers’ who don’t like paying a pound extra into a county game.
00:37:35 Describes the GAA’s facilities as ‘phenomenal’ and considers the improvements in his own club’s facilities over his lifetime. Recalls togging out in a caravan in the past, then a wooden hut. Talks about now having showers and underage players having senior players looking after them.
00:39:08 Remarks that ‘it can only get better’.
00:39:20 Speculates as to what the future levels of fitness will be.
00:39:25 Remarks that the game ‘is as good as any professional game’.
00:39:40 Comments on the developments about Cú Chulainn project in the schools to encourage greater Protestant community involvement – describes it as ‘brilliant’ and believes that ‘too many believed’ during the Troubles that the GAA was a Catholic or Republican preserve. Remarks that it would be ‘great to everybody involved’.
00:40:30 Refers to the numbers of ‘foreigners’ in the country who were having kids. Refers to Catholic playing rugby and cricket.
00:40:50 Mentions on the importance of sport putting people in the ‘right direction’. Refers to its benefits for health and discipline and for keeping them off the streets.
00:41:11 Comments that the ‘social life’ of Middletown revolves around Middletown. Recalls as a kid being at the field just get the spare ball.
00:41:50 Recalls one of his first matches in the 1970s when Middletown played Keady and ‘gunshots’ could be heard. Recalls also playing an Under 12 game against Madden and crying when he got hit on the nose.
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Involvement in Supporter Player □ Manager Coach □ Steward GAA
□ Chairperson □ Committee Member □ Grounds-person
□ Caterer □ Jersey Washer □ Referee □ None
□ Other (please specify): ______
Record as a Player Winner of an Ulster Colleges ‘All-Star’, 1988 (Titles won; Length of time played) 3 Armagh Senior Hurling titles with Middletown
Winner of Division 3 Armagh All-County League
3 Runners-up championship medals in Armagh
Intermediate Football, 1992, 1994, 1996
Record as an Administrator (Positions held; how long for)
Format □ Audio Audio-Visual
Duration Length of Interview: 00:42:46
Language English
To be filled in by Interviewer:
I hereby assign the copyright of the content of the above to the GAA Oral History Project on the understanding that the content will not be used in a derogatory manner. I understand that I am giving the GAA Oral History Project the right to use and make available to the public the content of this interview.
Signed: Joe Jordan
Date: 7th Feb 2011
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