Ireland Wants To Help The CNBC Anchor Who Had No Idea It Used The Euro

Ireland wants to help CNBC's Joe Kernen, and any other journalist who may be confused by its political system.

According to the NY Post, the country's government has announced a free expansion of its educational program for those abroad interested in business in Ireland. It's called the Irish Executive Mentoring program, and a spokesman told the Post that Kernen should definitely apply.

This comes after a disastrous live interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" last week, when host Joe Kernan seemed perplexed to find out that Ireland was part of the European Union.

Kernen was interviewing Martin Shanahan of Ireland's Industrial Development Authority (IDA). Co-host Becky Quick asked Shanahan how a weaker euro was impacting Irish tourism, Kernen thought Ireland was still using the pound.

Joe Kernen: You have pounds anyway, don't you still?

Martin Shanahan: We have euros.

JK: You have euros in Ireland? Why do you have euros in Ireland?

MT: Why wouldn't we have euros?

JK: I'd use the pound.

Just for reference, Ireland entered the euro in 1999. So it's been a while. The exchange went on, and Kernen continued to show a not-quite nuanced understanding of Ireland's history. Quick and co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin sat there in silence, doubtless wishing that the earth would open up and eat them:

JK: What about Scotland? I was using Scottish... er...

MT: Scottish pounds. They use sterling. But we use euro.

JK: What?

MT: Why wouldn't we do that?

JK: Why didn't Scotland?

MT: Well they're part of the UK, and we're not.

You can watch the full interview in the video below, the discussion in question starts at 6:55.