History gaffe turns MEP into Twitter joke
A BREXITEER MEP has inspired a new hashtag on Twitter with users ridiculing him on his knowledge of Irish history.
#HannanIrishHistory was trending after pro-Brexit Tory Daniel Hannon used Ireland in a bid to make a point about the EU in a comment article.
In particular, he suggested Fianna Fáil had won every Irish election between 1932 and 2008, when in fact Fine Gael was in power on six occasions during the period.
When the accuracy of his article was questioned, Mr Hannan said: ‘Historians necessarily have different takes on the same event’, adding: ‘Please try to accept that yours is not the only interpretation.’
Twitter users were quick to mock the Tory representative for South East England with their own takes.
Derek Mooney, an Irish public affairs specialist, referenced Mr Hannan’s Fianna Fáil claim directly, joking: ‘Though @fiannafáilparty had won every Irish election since 1392, it was dumped by voters after its 2010 #Eurovision entry failed to make the final, this sparked a run on the Euro and the banishment of Louis Walsh to ITV #Hannan IrishHistory.’
Steve Peers, a lecturer in international law at Essex University, tweeted: ‘The statue of Oliver Cromwell outside Parliament commemorates the Nobel peace prize which Cromwell won for ending the Irish Civil war #HannanIrishHistory”
Writer Dean Van Nguyen wrote: ‘Fionn mac Cumhaill burned his finger on the Salmon of Knowledge because of EU regulations on food labelling #HannanIrishHistory.’
Another Twitter user told a longer tale, joking: ‘Michael Collins faked his own death in 1922 in what was then Ireland’s largest insurance scam. Collins would later flee to America and flew the Apollo 11 mission. He would be immortalised in the song ‘In the air tonight’ written by his brother Phil #HannanIrishHistory.’
Mr Hannan, who is also president of the Initiative for Free Trade, did not respond to requests for a comment last night.