Born in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital, Dublin on 8 April 1930, Jordan was educated at Synge Street CBS, University College, Dublin (U.C.D.) and Pembroke College, Oxford. In his teens he acted on the stage of the Gate Theatre, Dublin, before winning a Scholarship in English and French to Oxford University from U.C.D.

In the mid-1950s he returned to U.C.D. as a lecturer in English and taught there until the end of the 1960s. He also lectured on sabbatical leave at the Memorial University in Newfoundland and briefly at Princeton University in the US Founding member of Aosdána. He was a celebrated literary critic from the late 1950s until his death in June 1988 in Cardiff, Wales, where he had been participating in the Merriman Summer School.

He was a short-story writer, a poet and a broadcaster. In 1962 he re-founded and edited the literary magazine Poetry Ireland (hoping "in the humblest of ways, to contribute towards the recreation of Dublin as a literary centre"). In this journal, he introduced a number of poets who were to become quite famous later, including Paul Durcan, Michael Hartnett and Seamus Heaney. This series of Poetry Ireland lasted until 1968–69. In 1981 he became the first editor of the new magazine published by the Poetry Ireland Society, called Poetry Ireland Review. Reviewer of novels for The Irish Times; wrote a column for Hibernia; contributed to Envoy and The Irish Press, among others; TV presenter and arts interviewer. Defended Gaelic literature and translated Pádraic Ó Conaire. Edited The Pleasures of Gaelic Literature (Mercier Press, 1977), and his translation of one of Aogán Ó Rathaille's essays was published in The Pleasures of Gaelic Poetry (London: Allen Lane, 1982). Championed the later plays of Seán O'Casey.

His Collected Poems (Dedalus Press) and Collected Stories (Poolbeg Press) were edited by his literary executor, Hugh McFadden, and published in Dublin in 1991. His Selected Prose, Crystal Clear, also edited by McFadden, was published by Lilliput Press in Dublin in 2006. Jordan's Selected Poems, edited with an Introduction by Hugh McFadden, was published in February 2008 by Dedalus Press. Uncollected stories appeared in Penguin Book of Irish Short Stories, Cyphers, and the Irish Press, among other places. His literary papers & letters are now held in the National Library of Ireland.

In 1953 the young Irish artist Reginald Gray was commissioned by University College Dublin to design the decor and costumes for their production of "The Kings Threshold" by W.B. Yeats. The leading role was given to John Jordan. During the preparations for the production Gray started a portrait of Jordan, which he never finished. This work now hangs in The Dublin Writers Museum, Ireland.

Collections of poetry edit

• Patrician Stations, New Writers Press (Dublin, 1971)
• A Raft From Flotsam, Gallery Press (Dublin, 1975)
• Blood and Stations, Gallery Press (Dublin, 1976)
• With Whom Did I Share The Crystal, (St. Bruno Press, 1980)
• Collected Poems, Dedalus Press, (Dublin, 1991)
• Selected Poems, Dedalus Press, (Dublin, 2008)

Prose edit

• Yarns, Poolbeg Press, (Dublin, 1977)
• Collected Stories, Poolbeg Press, (Dublin, 1991)
• Selected Prose: Crystal Clear, Lilliput Press (Dublin, 2006)

Editor edit

• The Pleasures of Gaelic Literature (Mercier Press, 1977)
• Poetry Ireland, 1962–68 [Nos. 1–8]
• Poetry Ireland Review, 1981–
• Special issue on Kate O'Brien, ed. John Jordan, Stony Thursday Book, vol. 7, 1981

• "Joyce Without Fears: A Personal Journey", A Bash in the Tunnel: James Joyce by the Irish, ed. John Ryan (Brighton: Clifton Books 1970), pp. 135–46;
• Ricorso.net – John Jordan
• Aosdána – John Jordan
• Remembering How We Stood, John Ryan (Gill and Macmillan, Dublin, 1975).
• Envoy, A Review of Literature and Art
• Dead as Doornails, Anthony Cronin (Dublin, Dolmen Press, 1976)
• Essay and poem on Patrick Swift:Patrick Swift 1927–83 (Gandon Editions, 1993)
• Organic Words, Hugh McFadden (Limerick, Limerick Writers' Press, 2019)
• In Memoriam – John Jordan
• Poets in Profile – Hugh McFadden Hugh McFadden : Born in Derry, he has lived in Dublin since early childhood. His poems have been widely published in literary magazines. His latest collection, Empire of Shadows, was published in September (2012) by Salmon Poetry.
• Irish Writers Online – John Jordan
• The Lilliput Press
• Poetry Magazines – Michael Longley ("taken up by the discerning editor of Poetry Ireland, John Jordan")
• Collector's Poet, Thomas MacGreevy – John Jordan
• National Library of Ireland – John Jordan Papers