US TV host refuses to accept Ireland uses the euro

Many people might be confused about exactly what the differences are between Great Britain, the United Kingdom and Britain and Ireland, but a US TV presenter just took the confusion to a new level.

Joe Kerner, co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box show, seemed to be genuinely astounded to learn that:

• Ireland uses the euro

• Scotland uses sterling

• Northern Ireland uses sterling

• Ireland is not part of the UK

Martin Shanahan, in charge of Ireland's foreign investment agency, was the unlucky man caught in the crossfire.

When he corrected Kerner's assertion that Scotland was "sort of the same, same island" as Ireland, and clarified that Northern Ireland had a different currency to the Republic, the host basically gave up, exclaiming "it is just too confusing".

If this all seems bit too confusing itself, the segment came in an interview on whether Ireland's tax policy was behind its tradition of producing good golfers. Right...

You can watch the whole segment below (the euro exchange begins at around seven minutes in).

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