*PICTURED:Noel Jordan at Ennis Courthouse during the week
The retail firm co-owned by sex offender, Noel Jordan was sitting on accumulated profits of €640,881 at the end of 2024, most recent accounts filed show.
At Ennis Circuit Court on Monday, (may 11th) Judge Francis Comerford is due to sentence of Mr Jordan (59) Jordan’s Mace, Main Street, Lisdoonvarna for the ‘sustained’ indecent assaults on then school boy Seán Collins on dates over a six year period between February 1980 to February 1986.
Mr Collins aged seven at the start of the offending in February 1980 and Mr Jordan was aged 14 and the abuse continued until February 1986 when Mr Collins was about to turn 13 and Mr Jordan was 19.
At the sentencing hearing, counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL said that Mr Collins has declined to accept an offer of a €20,000 payment from Mr Jordan as a token of his remorse.
Accounts lodged with the Companies Registration Office (CRO) show that Mr Jordan has a 40pc shareholding in the family-owned firm, Jordans Supermarket Ltd of Main Street, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare.
The most recent abridged accounts filed show that at the end of 2024, the firm had cash funds of €148,325.
Mr Jordan is a director of the firm and accumulated profits increased only marginally during 2024 from €637,234 to €640,881.
At the sentencing hearing, Mr Jordan’s sister, Deirdre – who is also a director of the family retail firm – said that Noel Jordan does not now serve customers in the shop and works in the background due to the case.
Asked has the case impacted the retail business, Ms Jordan said that last November, Seán Collins sent an email to a local school and wrote of Mr Jordan’s offences telling readers of the email ‘don’t go near that shop’.
Ms Jordan said that the shop has some very loyal customers “and other people we haven’t seen”.
Judge Comerford remanded Mr Jordan in custody ahead of sentencing today, Monday, May 11th.
Judge Comerford said that ‘great harm’ was done by Mr Jordan to Mr Collins and the offending “was sustained over a number of years and involved threats”.
Judge Comerford said that Mr Jordan was significantly older than Seán Collins “and had power and authority that came from someone who was older”.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Collins said: “I have beaten the devil. I couldn’t care less about Noel Jordan, now it is his time to cry.”
Mr Collins said: “I picture this as being the day I walk up to the terrified seven year version of myself who has been crying out to be noticed and heard.”
“I am going to put my arms around him and tell him ‘you don’t need to be afraid or carry the pain anymore’. ‘I’ve got you from now on in, I’m going to protect you’.”
In evidence, the investigating Garda, Det Garda Niamh O’Malley told the court that after one indecent assault carried out by Mr Jordan on Seán Collins “he had a distinct memory of feeling like a dirty dog”.
Det Garda O’Malley said that at the time of the offending, Noel Jordan told Seán Collins that he better not tell anyone or his parents would die.
In the witness box, Mr Jordan apologised to Seán Collins.
He said: “I would like to apologise to Seán for all the harm and hurt I have caused him.”
He said: “I sincerely regret it all. My faith is keeping me going. This weighed heavily on me all my life.”
He said: “I wish I could turn back the clock but I can’t.”
Asked by his counsel, Colm Smyth SC about coming to terms with his sexuality, Mr Jordan said: “I am gay and I could not accept it and I was living in denial all my life.”
Mr Jordan said that he only came out as a gay man to his mother – who turns 90 next month – a few weeks ago and to his sisters three or four years ago.
Asked by Mr Smyth did he realise the harm he was causing to Seán Collins, Mr Jordan said: “I didn’t know what was happening…I did not know what sex was – I did not know intercourse was.”
