On Tuesday night, there was a champagne reception at Vicar Street for the book launch of Against the Odds: Jordan's Drive to Win (Gill & Macmillan, £12.99), the story of the Jordan team's 98 Grand Prix win. Given the fact that most of the guests had crawled to the venue via taxis unable to go at more than half a mile an hour, there was something splendidly ironic about the presence of the yellow racing car on the stage. This "Jordan 198" racing car, which was driven this season, can get up to speeds of 220 m.p.h. Ah yes, but not in Dublin traffic.
The book's co-authors, journalist Maurice Hamiliton and photographer Jon Nicholson, were both there. A selection of Jon's superb pictures from the book were also on display at the venue. He obviously has the gene of a bird, since there were so many fantastic shots of cars taken from impossible-looking heights and angles.
Eddie Jordan arrived, looking like a Celtic Woody Allen, sporting the trademark spectacles and a shiny copper-coloured suit. There had been a book signing in Hodges Figgis earlier in the day. "We sold the lot," Eddie announced delightedly, as he signed yet more books, left, right, and centre. The Jordan clan was certainly out in force. His mother, Eileen Jordan confided: "The attic is full of Dinky cars belonging to Eddie when he was a young chap". So his love of wheels obviously started at an early age.
His wife and daughter, Marie and Zoe Jordan were also there. Did Marie worry about the team members crashing? "They crash so often you don't associate crashing with injury," she said briskly. "Most times they get out of it very fast." Zoe is on a year off between school and college. "I'm going to Fiji and Australia in the New Year." Niece Ciara Metchett was there with her husband Neil and Eddie's sister Helen McCarthy, with her husband, also called Neil.
Meanwhile, several of the guests were putting on yellow driving suits and sitting into the car for a unique photo opportunity. They all looked a bit abashed when the car's original driver, Damon Hill, arrived in. "I don't know where the rumour started that we were selling up and leaving Ireland," Damon said, speaking of his pad in Dalkey.
Several of the party went on afterwards to the Playwright Pub in Blackrock, where Eddie and Damon got up before the astonished punters and performed a musical session that went on for several laps.
