Heath Ledger's role in the European Election
Viewers of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Newsline will already know that earlier this week I spent an evening at the Errigle Inn in South Belfast. Journalist goes to pub - not much of a story there. But on this occasion I had to trade places with the quizmaster to ask the regulars a series of European related questions. The quiz is over on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Newsline site.
We had 22 teams. 14 got the date of the election right, and the same number correctly identified the two cities where European parliamentarians meet. 15 teams knew how many countries are members of the EU, and 12 knew how many MEPs represent Northern Ireland.
But to my mind the best answers came in the picture round. I only managed to collect 21 completed picture rounds (this being a pub quiz someone probably stole the other one to mop up a spilt drink).
Of this totally unscientific sample, everyone recognised Ian Paisley, John Hume and Bairbre De Brun. 16 teams knew Alban Maginess, 14 knew Diane Dodds, 12 knew Ian Parsley and 10 knew Jim Nicholson, Jim Allister and Stephen Agnew.
Only one team recognised the EU Parliament President Hans Gert Pottering (one team thought he was Gandalf, another Jim Wells), whilst only 3 knew the EU Commission head Jose Manuel Barrosso (one team mistook him for David Trimble).
One team thought Jim Allister was Neil Kinnock, whilst Stephen Agnew was mistaken for celebrity chef Paul Rankin and "Ronan Keating in ten years time". Three teams thought Diane Dodds was the Irish President Mary McAleese. She was also mistaken for Sylvia Hermon and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
But my personal favourite remains the Alliance's Ian Parsley who may take some comfort from being mistaken for the heart throb Australian actor, the sadly departed
Thanks again to the management and quiz master at the Errigle. Here's a question which didn't make it into the quiz. Between 2000 and 2013 how much money is Northern Ireland due to get from Europe? a) 963 million Euros b) 2.63 billion Euros or c) 26.9 billion Euros? Post your answers below and I shall let you know the right answer next week.
I'm 
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