Cork heavyweight boxing legend Mick Jordan to be honoured in Fermoy

The former Irish heavyweight champion also made his mark in handball and became a familiar figure on Fermoy nightclub doors

Michael ‘Mick’ Jordan, who lives in Fermoy, will be honoured by his local municipal district council in January for his achievement in 1967. File picture: Richard Mills

A well-known Co Cork man is to receive a civic reception in his native town to mark the 60th anniversary of his Irish heavyweight boxing title win.

Michael ‘Mick’ Jordan, who lives in Fermoy, will be honoured by his local municipal district council in January for his achievement in 1967.

Jordan, who was just 23 at the time, overcame a much bigger opponent, Kildare’s Michael Collins, knocking him out in front of a capacity crowd at the National Stadium in Dublin.

The victory added a national title to his Munster crown and made him a celebrated figure across the region.

Long before Chris Eubank became famous for vaulting into the ring, Jordan had perfected the move himself.

During his heyday, he was a member of the boxing club in Ballyhooly, a village almost 10km west of Fermoy.

Jordan was also an accomplished handballer and is credited by many with helping to revive the sport in Fermoy and the wider North Cork area.

His son, Colm Jordan, became the first player from Fermoy Handball Club, and indeed from any club in Cork, to win the All-Ireland intermediate ‘hard’ ball singles title.

From the boxing ring to nightclub security

In later life, Mick Jordan became a familiar face as a security man at Fermoy nightclubs, both of which have since closed.

He worked at the ‘Top Hat’, now Riordan’s SuperValu, and the ‘Talk of the South’ disco in the former Grand Hotel.

Jordan formed a professional partnership on the door with his long-time friend John Mahon.

Mahon, a former member of the Irish Army from Fermoy, was another boxing figure. He was a former vice-president of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association and was regarded as one of the country’s leading boxing referees.

Mr Mahon, 60, was shot dead by a former Army colleague who held a grudge against him in Fermoy in 2006.

He and Mr Jordan formed a formidable partnership working nightclub doors, and their presence was usually enough to prevent trouble from breaking out.

Civic reception unanimously approved 

The civic reception for Mr Jordan was proposed by Aontú councillor Peter O’Donoghue at a municipal district meeting and approved unanimously.

“He’s like the Pope around here, everyone knows him. The (title fight) was televised on RTÉ 1 and whole country was watching it,” he said.

The oldest councillor in Co Cork, Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn, recalled “being a very young guy” watching the bout in a chip shop.

“I remember him at the Top Hat and the Talk of South and fortunately he never threw me out,” Mr O’Flynn added.