Jordan Conroy bravely opened up about experiencing domestic abuse as a child during Friday’s episode of The Late Late Show.
The Ireland Rugby 7’s star spoke to host Patrick Kielty about his difficult childhood growing up in Germany, which he described as “very dark” and “traumatic”.
Jordan moved to Tullamore in Co. Offaly with his mother and sister when he was 10, after escaping his violent stepfather.
The 30-year-old said: “Growing up in Germany was a very dark and traumatic time. Me and my mam and my sister had to go through long years of domestic abuse.
“At a very young age it was very tough to see your mam beaten down by a man and you’re supposed to be a man of the house and try to protect her.
“It went on for years. Talking about it again brings back all the memories. It’s a good thing because I’m even scared talking about it now but I want to show young men and men my age it’s okay to be scared and let these emotions out.
“I was six or seven [when it started] and at that age, I didn’t even comprehend what was happening.”
“It did mess up my childhood a little bit. I started taking it out on my classmates and became very violent very quickly and it’s just a natural reaction to it,” he continued.
“I think when my mum saw how it affected me and even when I got hit as well she knew it was time to go.
“I hated him with a passion because I saw what he was doing. I shouldn’t have so much hatred as a kid towards some person and sometimes I did fight back but it didn’t do any good. It was tough.
“All I ever wanted to do was protect her, and I couldn’t do it. It was tough, but that’s what we had to do to survive. I did everything I could do and she did everything she could do, but we rode the storm and we finally got out of that situation.”
Recalling the incident that changed everything, Jordan explained: “We finally were able to prove what he was doing to her. I just remember waking up and hearing arguing and I just knew the minute I got that sinking feeling in my stomach that it was happening again.”
“I went to the door and looked through the creek and he was drunk, and me and my mum made eye contact and she just held him and I ran upstairs and called the police…
“And all I could hear was screaming and shouting and I got the neighbours to call the police, and I just remember coming down after to see her in a white t-shirt all bloodied up and it was at that time we could press charges finally. ”
Jordan said he hopes he can help others by sharing his story, adding:Â “It’s just to show the kids out there and the teenagers that what has happened to you at an early age doesn’t define who you’re going to be in the future.”
