One dream – to play in Irish jersey
age of five and never wanted to be anything other than a professional player. He was born in Northern Ireland and his family moved soon afterwards to Birmingham, where he played mini rugby with other children.
Aged eight, and with a Birmingham accent, he played mini rugby with Belfast Harlequins. There he met Rory Harrison, future Ulster rugby player and co-defendant.
He enrolled at Methodist College in south Belfast, one of the North’s great rugby schools. His brother, Paul, and sister, Kerry, also went to the school, as did his grandfather, Ray, his great-uncle, Stanley, and his father, Peter.
Sectarian politics had little interest for Paddy Jackson – he idolised Brian O’Driscoll, even replacing the Leinster player’s head with his own in a picture of Bod that the young Paddy had pinned to his bedroom wall. At Methodist College, he deepened his friendship with Mr Harrison and met another future defendant, Blane McIlroy. Later, he befriended Stuart Olding at the Ulster Training Academy.
He impressed Ulster youth coaches, even when he refused to take off his Ireland rugby jersey during training. He was determined to make it to the Ireland team.
He had a very solid opening with his Ulster debut against Connacht in 2011, scoring a try, a conversion and three penalties. Ulster player Declan Fitzpatrick told the court that Jackson ‘blended into the background’ and was never conceited or egotistical.
Mr Fitzpatrick said Mr Jackson would stay behind after training to do extra kicking practice and, while the rest of the Ulster team would be relaxing and playing cards on the team bus, Mr Jackson would be with the coaches, analysing his performance.
He was a perfectionist and a devoted rugby player his whole life. He only ever had one dream, to play for Ireland. Whether he can resume that dream remains to be seen.