BRITISH MEP Daniel Hannan has been roundly ridiculed online after getting his facts badly wrong on the subject of Irish history.
The pro-Brexit Conservative politician was caught out while attempting to use examples from Irish history in an argument put forward as part comment piece about the EU.
However, it wasn’t long before some of the ‘facts’ Hannan used in article were called into question. In the piece, for example, the MEP suggested Fianna Fail won every Irish election between 1932 and 2008.
This was not strictly true though, with many highlighting the fact Fine Gael was in power on six occasions during that time period.
In spite of this, Hannan appeared to stand by the historical facts quoted in the article, writing on Twitter: "historians necessarily have different takes on the same event", adding: "Please try to accept that yours is not the only interpretation."
It wasn’t long before the Conservative politician found himself trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons with historians, writers and experts taking to the social media platform to jokingly quote made-up bits of Irish history alongside the hashtag #HannanIrishHistory.
Steve Peers, a lecturer in international law at Essex University, as among those to get in on the gag, tweeting: "The statue of Oliver Cromwell outside Parliament commemorates the Nobel peace prize which Cromwell won for ending the Irish Civil war #HannanIrishHistory"
One joker tweeted a picture of a pigeon alongside the caption: “Below is rare archive footage of Dustin the Turkey from his teenage years, gathering Intel for Michael Collins and the G-Men. #HannanIrishHistory.”
Below is rare archive footage of Dustin the Turkey from his teenage years, gathering Intel for Michael Collins and the G-Men. #HannanIrishHistory pic.twitter.com/iVb2f16OF1
— Peter Magliocco (@magz_p98) March 20, 2019
“Michael D Higgins was an Irish professional wrestler in the WWF (world wildlife fund) He won the world title in 1967 by choking out 2 tigers and a monkey. He lost it a year later when a giraffe got him in a full nelson. #HannanIrishHistory,” another wrote.
Writer Dean Van Nguyen also chimed in with: "Fionn mac Cumhaill burned his finger on the Salmon of Knowledge because of EU regulations on food labelling #HannanIrishHistory."
#HannanIrishHistory current Uachtarán na hEireann Michael D Higgins was a former professional subbuteo player before he was injured and broken from his base in a crucial world cup qualifier with the Faroe Islands captained by Ramesses II.
— Michael V (@Iren_will) March 20, 2019
The Orange Order was founded in 1795 in Armagh after trampling imported oranges to make marmalade. They commemorate this symbollically by marching every year. #HannanIrishHistory
— Stevie G (@stev1eg) March 20, 2019
This tweet was among the other highlights: “In 1979, the Boom Town Rats- in an effort to create a six-day week- penned the song “I don’t like Mondays”. After the second referendum it was decided that 52% of the population didn’t mind Mondays after all.. #HannanIrishHistory.”
Irish public affairs specialist Derek Mooney directly referenced Hannan’s Fianna Fail claim in his tweet, which read: "Though @fiannafailparty 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 #HannanIrishHistory."
The famous statesman “Strongbow” is still revered in Ireland as the man who introduced the can of Cider to the country. Even leading to him being buried in the cathedral which was the first to use this new drink in place of alter wine #hannanIrishHistory
— Mark Kinsella 🇮🇪 ☘️ (@MarkSidmk) March 20, 2019
As part of the GFA the IRA agreed to bury their pots of gold around Ireland, the hiding paces were shared with Failte Ireland so they could let visiting americans find them at the end of the rainbows #begorrah
#hannanirishhistory— Dec Brennan (@DecB1) March 20, 2019
Hats off too to the author of this tweet: “The famous statesman “Strongbow” is still revered in Ireland as the man who introduced the can of Cider to the country. Even leading to him being buried in the cathedral which was the first to use this new drink in place of alter wine #hannanIrishHistory”
Consider yourself well and truly schooled, Daniel.
