Fergus O’Malley had been hailed as the most intelligent man in Ireland for three years running.
He had won several top television quiz and game shows and it was suggested by the Irish Mensa board that he should enter the English Mastermind Championships.
Well, Fergus applied to be a contestant on the English Martermind Championships and to his surprise, he won a place.
So, when the show was due to be recorded, he caught the ferry across to England, took a train to London and then a bus to the television studios which were on the outskirts of London.
On the evening of the competition, Fergus walked onto the stage, sat down and made himself comfortable.
The lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on his face.
The Mastermind host asked him, “So Fergus, what subject are you going to be answering questions on?”
Fergus replied, “Irish history”.
“Very well”, the host said. “For your first question, in what year did the Easter Rising take place?”
“Pass”, said Fergus.
“Okay”, said the host, “For your second question, who was the leader of the Easter Rising?”
Fergus again responded, “Pass”.
“Well then”, the show host said, thinking that the most intelligent person in Ireland ought to know the answers to these questions, “for your third question, how long did the Easter Rising last?”
Again, Fergus responded, “Pass”.
Instantly, a voice from the audience shouted out, “Good man, Fergus, tell the English nothing…”
Image used under a Collective Commons License from https://sluggerotoole.com/2021/04/30/education-is-the-key-to-progress/
