ZOE: It doesn’t surprise me in the least that Dad originally set out to
be a racing driver. Everything about his make-up, his outlook on life, is
about pushing things to the limit, whether it’s cars or anything else. Some
would say he’s fearless, others might say he’s dangerous — either way,
there’s definitely a bit of the kamikaze about him. And while I was too
young to remember him before he quit the driving, I can certainly imagine
what he was like. I just thank God he made the decision to switch from
driver to manager.
But you didn’t have to see him on the racetrack to see him taking things to
extremes. I only have to think of some of the hair-raising situations that
he got us into on holiday to know what he can be like. One of the things he
loves is being on the water — only it can’t be the gentle, relaxing kind,
it’s got to involve adventure, adrenaline and the unexpected somewhere along
the way. I’ve lost count of the times we’ve been out sailing and instead of
steering away from an oncoming storm he’d start chasing it! I mean, what a
lunatic! In any case, I don’t think he ever paid any attention to weather
reports. Not only that, but if a drama doesn’t present itself, you can be
sure Dad will create one. Only he could be on something as slow as a barge
and still manage to crash it on both sides. I see the same trait in my
little brother, Zak. He’s a snowboarding freestyle champion and he’s another
one who doesn’t have any concept of danger.
The one thing Dad isn’t is boring. Life is never dull with him. As a kid I
used to love following him around at Silverstone, whether he was talking
shop with drivers, the mechanics or businessmen. He has this energy,
spontaneity and anything-is-possible attitude. It was exhilarating to watch
him then, and it still is now. It just made you want to be around him. I
think most people warm to Dad for that reason. I even used to love sitting
in the corner of his office because I could eavesdrop on his conversations —
he’d be brokering some sponsorship deal or thrashing out a new contract and
it was always fascinating. He’s got such a way with words. Sometimes he’d
catch me watching him and give me a nod or a wink.
I used to love that, because even though I was too young to know what was
going on, he made me feel I was in on his world of money and fast cars.
Dad’s got a very optimistic view of life. He’s good at taking a shit
situation and finding something good in it. He’s hugely inspiring in that
sense. Nothing fazes him. Of course I’m not saying he’s always got a sunny
disposition. When things are good everything’s great; when they’re not, his
moods can be foul and you know to stay clear. But it’s part of his passion
for whatever he’s involved in. We saw it when he set up the Jordan Grand
Prix team and took on the might of global brands like Ferrari and Benetton.
I’d love to think that attitude has rubbed off on me. Dad will tell you that
he’s had an amazing amount of luck and good fortune. But I think you make
your own luck in this world. Dad has taught us to always look on the bright
side, to be resilient and not ever let people make you doubt yourself. I
think it could be summarised by the words “F*** the begrudgers” — an
Irish-sounding motto that we both live by.
EDDIE: The day that Zoë was born I turned up at the hospital on
crutches. At the time I was circuit-testing at Ireland’s Mondello Park for a
Formula 3 race, and just a few days before she was due I crashed my car. My
wife, Marie, was a bit shocked when she saw me coming through the door, but
I wasn’t going to miss the birth, no matter how many bones I’d broken. It
was a time in my life when everything was coming together. I was in my early
thirties, I had a wonderful wife, a new baby girl, and I was living my dream
as a professional racing driver. I felt on top of the world.
Having said that, in those days, being a driver wasn’t the most secure path to
go down, financially or physically, especially with a family on the way.
When I told my parents I was jacking in a great job at the Bank of Ireland
to go off driving, they thought I was mad. But I knew I had to do this. Of
course, in the early days I was earning very little from racing, so, to make
a bit of extra money, Marie and I used to let out a few of our rooms to the
other racing drivers. We were living in a house next to Silverstone and they
needed places to live — it worked out really well. So from the earliest age,
Zoë was surrounded by people from the racing world, whether I was down at
the racing track or sitting at the kitchen table.
The thing with Zoë is I think we’ve got similar traits. She has the same
outspokenness, the same determination, and the same feistiness. If anything,
she can be too feisty for her own good. At 13 she decided to go off to
boarding school and we thought: “Great, she’ll be able to focus, she’ll do
well.” But instead she was a f***ing terror. She was always up to something
— going on the piss, smoking, staying out late, flouting one rule after
another — I don’t know how many times I was up and down seeing the
headmaster. The last straw was when she was coming back from a hockey game
and mooned at the headmaster out the back of the school bus.
Neither of us are shy of a good argument. She can certainly call up a
colourful vocabulary. And when she starts shouting and roaring at me and I
start shouting and roaring at her, everyone just scatters. We can certainly
get under each other’s skin. But at the same time I see that as a reflection
of how close we are, knowing how we both tick. But nothing lasts. We’re the
sort who can argue one minute and go off to lunch or a football match the
next.
Despite her mischief-making at school I knew she was pretty smart and that
once she’d found something she was interested in, she’d excel at it. After
finishing a degree in business, she landed a job as a bond trader in New
York, and I have to say I was pretty proud of that. Here she was, stepping
into this tough world, moving to this tough city, and I thought: “Jesus!
She’s got balls! She’s a tough cookie in more ways than one.” I like that.
I also like that she’s not afraid of taking chances, as she did with the
launch of her fashion label, Irwin & Jordan. Yes, it’s a challenge, but
she’s streetwise, so underneath her bubbly persona she has plenty of common
sense. She wouldn’t go into something if she didn’t feel hugely passionate
about it.
As the eldest of my five children, Zoë knows I respect people who are
vigilant, tough and committed. She also knows I’m not some kind of cash cow.
Marie and I are happy to give our children the right start — a good
education, a few quid to sort them out with a place to live — but then
they’re on their own. Zoë would not have it any other way. She’s hungry for
success and determined to get it for herself. Maybe she’s picked up a few
tips from me along the way, but maybe now I’m about to pick up a few tips
from her.
www.irwinandjordan.com
Interview by Ria Higgins.
Photograph by Mark Read
