CNBC's real life Ron Burgundy had it about right on Ireland Having spent much of the summer in America, I'm aware that most Americans take not the slightest bit of interest in what goes on in Europe, but this really did take the biscuit in supposed ignorance. Except that in his possibly feigned amazement on being told that Ireland is a member of Europe's single currency, Mr Kernan was in a bizarre kind of way spot on. In a discussion with Martin Shanahan, chief executive of the Ireland's Industrial Development Agency, which ranged over such delights as whether Ireland's low tax regime might have something to do with why Ireland produces so many good golfers, Mr Kernan attempted to clarify Ireland's currency status by asking, "you have pounds, don't you?." On being told that actually Ireland had been a member of the euro for fifteen years, Mr Kernan asked in apparent astonishment, "why would you do that?," before going on to add. Oh my god, you guys really need to get it together. And it got better. Northern Ireland, it was pointed out, uses the pound, and so does Scotland. It is sort of the same island isn't it? Mr Kernan went on. Aren't you right next to er. And then in a final flourish, "It's just too confusing." Indeed it is. Splendid stuff, and proof positive that the apparently naïve has an unerring ability to get at the underlying truth. Why is Ireland in the euro, when it has far more in common with Britain than Europe? OK, so I know the answer to that one, but you've got to admit that from an economic perspective, it's a very odd state of affairs which isn't obviously doing the country a great deal of good.