Martin, 93, has Hollywood hopes
Martin Gordon (extreme left) with, from right: Chelsea player George Graham, Margaret Savage of the Black and White Minstrels, Chelsea FC captain Terry Venables, Eddie McCreadie, Chelsea and Scotland and Tony Hillier, who went on to write a Eurovision song contest winner.
Martin Gordon, a long-time resident of Enniscrone and Ballina who is now based in Co Cork, is adapting his autobiography for the movies. The 93-year-old has met a Hollywood writer who likes the story and is eager to work with Martin in developing the screenplay.
Martin arrived in Enniscrone in July 1945 from Glasgow to spend a two-week holiday with his father's sister Sarah Ellen, married to John McGowan, a small farmer whose land was in the area behind the Enniscrone Pier. Martin fell in love with Enniscrone and prayed that his two-week stay would be extended. His prayer was answered and he was allowed to stay on indefinitely.
His life was to change dramatically when he went to the pier for his first swim and met Joan Conboy, who pushed him into the water, but not before he confirmed he could win.
Five years later, it was Joan's mother Madeleine who organised Martin's entry into the African Mission's college in Cork to begin the long road to the priesthood.
But it was as a Pallottine Father he was ordained in 1960 and assigned to the Society's central London parish of SS Peter & Paul, Amwell street, EC1.
During his five years in the parish, Martin was chaplain to the Royal Free and Ear, Nose and Throat Hospitals; Catholic Stage Guild chaplain at Sadler's Wells Opera; honorary chaplain to Chelsea F.C. and honorary haplain to London's Tin Pan Alley.
Born in Glasgow, it was inevitable that Martin would be an enthusiastic follower of soccer which led to him, while a student, to found Enniscrone United and organise the Manchester United Memorial Cup competition in 1958 (the year of the Munich air disaster), refereeing the final between Castlebar Celtic and Quay Hearts of Westport, who won 4-3 after being down 3-1 at half-time.
In London, he founded a parish soccer team, naming it Marian Rovers and choosing the colours of Brazil for its playing kit.
The young priest was invited to play in four charity games, in the last of which, Billy Wright, former captain of Wolves and England, applauded him for the diving header he made in an attempt to score a goal on the ground of Wembley FC, of whom he was a Vice-President.
Hollywood actress Rosalind Russell once said: A movie with five memorable scenes would be successful. Martin claims his film, which has a working title of , has 16 such scenes. The title is taken from the Portuguese proverb "God Writes Straight With Crooked Lines."
