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BOIL THE KETTLE, rustle out the last of those Chrismas cookies, find a comfortable chair and settle down to test your 2013 news knowledge.
One proviso before we begin — you’ll need to make a pact with yourself not to cheat! It’s just for fun, so if you decide to just Google everything — well, you’re only fooling yourself!
We’re taking it month by month, so it may well get easier as we go along.
For the moment though, we cast our minds back to a time when Lucinda Creighton was still a high-flying junior minister, and your grandmother was blissfully unaware that ‘twerking’ was a thing…
Oh, and you may need a pen and paper!
[Photocall]
1. “Yes, standard orbit captain, and we’re detecting signs of life on the surface”. Commander Chris Hadfield sent this message from space via Twitter. But who was he talking to?
2. “A businessman and friend”. That’s how Vladimir Putin described this well-known Frenchman before granting him Russian citizenship. Who are we talking about?
3. “100 per cent” of prison inmates thought he shouldn’t have been behind bars, according to this Irish businessman who spent some time in jail. Who?
4. “Collusion at senior levels” took place in the misappropriation of €4 million in Irish aid by which nation? The cash was handed back in January.
5. Villagers “exploded with joy” as children received a kilo of candy each to mark the birthday of which Asian head of state?
6. “President Obama has officially decided I am NOT being deported”. Which TV interviewer said this on Twitter, after some Americans took issue with his comments on gun control?
7. “Under no circumstances will I step down”. Which ex-Labour TD said this about his elected role within the party.
8. Regularly asked “what you talkin’ about” over the eight-year run of ‘Diff’rent Strokes’, one of the most popular US sitcoms of the 70s and 80s, actor Conrad Baines died in January, aged 89. What character did he portray in the show?
9. “He paid for the course entirely out of his own resources and no public funding at all was involved”: The Irish Mail apologised to which Irish ex-politician, after publishing pictures of him attending Stanford University.
10. The White House officially rejected a petition to build a real-life version of which fictional space station because of a “fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship”?
1. Picture clue! Pictured above are members of the Norwegian Army, engaging in an internet dance craze that swept the world back in February. What was it called?
2. Two RTÉ current affairs veterans joined forces for the new line up of Prime Time, alongside younger anchor Claire Byrne. Their names please.
3. Michael D. Higgins had to cut short a visit to Italy to sign emergency legislation, approved after a dramatic overnight Dáil sitting. What was the aim of the Bill?
4. “Wud climb back in window but drainpipe broken”. Which high-profile TD and social media aficionado got locked out of his home and live tweeted the entire ordeal?
5. Which practice was formally outlawed in Mississippi — 150 years after it was abolished in the rest of the US?
6. There was a daring €37 million heist at Brussels Airport. Of what?
7. He starred in the Good Life, and had a role opposite Robert De Niro in Kenneth Brannagh’s Frankenstein, and he died aged 79 in February. Who was he?
8. Enda Kenny issued a formal State apology. To whom?
9. Which political party announced legislation aimed at creating a new national holiday on the anniversary of the Easter Rising, to be called ‘Lá na Poblachta’.
10. Which former muse of Woody Allen Tweeted that “you can tell who’s doing coke” during the Oscars?
1. 2013 was a big year for both Morrissey and Robbie Keane [pictured above] with the singer releasing his much anticipated autobiography and the Republic Of Ireland striker (amongst other achievements) making this child’s day on the Late Late Toy Show. News also emerged of a bizarre connection between the two. What is it?
2. President Higgins said he was “very sorry” hear of this world leader’s death aged 58, while Eamon Gilmore said he had been “an important figure on the world stage”. Who?
3. “The five of us are determined to be back on air together as soon as possible” read their statement after the broadcast team formerly known as ‘Off the Ball’ left Newstalk. They now trade under a different name. What is it?
4. Keith O’Brien admitted after stepping down from his role in the Catholic Church that his sexual conduct had “fallen below the standards expected of me”. What was the position he resigned from?
5. Which Irish politician displayed a unique interpretation of the social media term ‘fraping’ in an Oireachtas commitee meeting?
6. Which outspoken TD effectively blew the whistle on himself and revealed in the Dáil that he had had penalty points quashed on two separate occasions?
7. Who won the Meath East by-election?
8. Fans of ‘Withnail & I’ knew him as ‘Uncle Monty’. This well-loved British actor died in March, aged 65. His name, please?
9. Youth advice website Spunout.ie was forced to defend itself from criticism from Fine Gael’s Michelle Mulherin over an article on which sexual practice?
10. “The greatest guitarist in the history of sound,” is how Slash was described when introduced on stage in Dublin by which US actor said to draw his power from the blood of tigers.
1. “Did you throw it away right afterwards or did you wait until you got back to the hotel?”: Graham Norton’s question to Tom Cruise, after the movie star was presented with which honour by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore during a promotional visit to Dublin?
2. Releasing a statement, saying she no longer wanted to support a Government that is “actually hurting people,” which Labour MEP confirmed she was leaving the parliamentary party?
3. “Her role in international affairs was equally belligerent whether in support of the Chilean dictator Pinochet, her opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa; and her support for the Khmer Rouge.” Who was Gerry Adams talking about?
4. Announcing he would be waiving a €100,000 bonus, and citing plans to return home to London to pursue other interests, this man announced he would be stepping down from his role as Irish Financial Regulator. His name…
5. Actor Wesley Snipes was released from prison in the US after serving a three year sentence. What for?
6. Several animal artefacts were stolen from the National Museum Archive in Swords, Co. Dublin. What were they?
7. “The costs are not small but, given the level of public interest and the international significance, are justifiable,” RTÉ head of news Kevin Pankhurst was speaking about the broadcaster’s €167,000 spend on coverage of which international event?
8. A surprising twist: In the wake of the horse-meat scandal, Ikea pulled its moose lasagne from the the shelves after it was found to contain traces of which meat?
9. Famous for his trademark phrase “two thumbs up,” this renowned American film critic and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist passed away in April. His name, please…
10. It was announced that Jay Leno is to leave US TV institution The Tonight Show (again). Which former Saturday Night Live star, known for his inability to keep a straight face alongside Will Ferrell, is to take over as host in February?
1. A German current affairs TV crew arrived in rural Kerry to interview the gentleman pictured above for a segment about drink driving. Who is he?
2. His take on Europe’s austerity policies in a newspaper interview led to criticism from some quarters that this Irish office-holder had overstepped the remit of his role. Who are we talking about?
3. Thin Lizzy fans in Dublin and around the world were said to be ‘outraged’. Why?
4. Boston Cardinal Seán O’Malley refused to attend an event in the city due to the planned presence of which Irish politician?
5. He gained worldwide media attention during Hurricane Sandy, and in May this portly US Republican politician revealed he had undergone gastric band surgery? His name, please…
6. A row erupted between Alan Shatter and Independent TD Mick Wallace over a comment made by the Justice Minister when the two appeared on Prime Time. What was the issue?
7. A Fine Gael TD’s assistant was accused of taking a bizarre course of action to protect his boss from negative publicity. What was he said to have done?
8. Alex Ferguson’s resignation as Manchester United manager made headlines worldwide. How many years was he in charge at Old Trafford?
9. Founding member and keyboardist of The Doors and the man responsible for the immortal organ solo on ‘Light My Fire’, this musician died on 20 May aged 74…
10. This Cork radio personality, who last made the headlines over an incident on board an airplane, was criticised over a scripted on-air lecture criticising Irish society for, amongst other things, providing ‘medical cards to Africans while Irish children go sick’. What’s his name?
[Peter Morrison/AP/Press Association Images]
1. A movie about the murals in Belfast was released on Netflix on 1 June. It was produced by which Hollywood actor, better known for his comedy roles alongside the likes of Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller?
2. The Editor of the Irish Examiner said the people of Limerick were “jumping to the wrong conclusion”. Why were the residents of the Treaty City upset at the newspaper?
3. A Dublin-born academic was named by the White House as the new US ambassador to the UN. Her name?
4. “Someone who wants to be pope does not really like themselves”. Who said this?
5. Describing herself as a “wife” and “mom” as well as a “pantsuit aficionado”, this world figure joined Twitter in June. Who?
6. The country marked the 25th anniversary of one of the country’s most notable sporting moments on 12 June. What were we celebrating?
7. A high-profile Fianna Fáil TD drew criticism over his comment that, in certain circumstances, the State should pay for ministers’ partners or spouses to travel with them on official overseas trips. His name, please.
8. Author of the The Wasp Factory, Complicity and The Crow Road, this Scottish writer died on 9 June at the age of 59…
9. He would hold an historic phone conversation with President Barack Obama later in the year, but this moderate cleric was elected as the 7th President of Iran on 15 June. His name?
10. “You showcased us as a nation of pimps – prostituting ourselves in return for a pat on the head”: Which left-wing TD said this to the Taoiseach, in the wake of the Obama family’s visit to Ireland?
Check back tomorrow for part two!
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Maybe the children should be taught That there was no famine and the country was exporting food at the time . Call it was it really was Genocide !
History should be put in a context that young people understand . If they added genealogy to part of the curriculum they could see that what happened did not not happen to strangers but to members of their own families. Then history would become more relevant to them .
@Mary Mc Carthy: A small family genealogy module would probably be a really fun and engaging activity for kids. It feels like if it’s getting special status then history should try to cover Ireland’s entire history in a broader sense and not get into the weeds too much on topics.
@Edmund Murphy: see Car Thompson’s post below for what is wrong with what you said.
Analysis of evidence and weighing up competing explanations is the nub of it.
The absence/inclusion of certain content at JC can be criticized, but the real issue is the lack of skills development. The current JC exam assesses factual knowledge more than anything else. Historians don’t just learn facts and slap them down on paper, they analyze and develop arguments in response to questions. Apart from the document analysis, which is only one section, the exam
rewards student who retain knowledge well which is more so a memory test than anything else… hopefully the CBAs will address this!
@Carl Thompson: Well said.
@Carl Thompson: indeed well said but the issue there lies less with the way things are taught and more to do with the structure of the exam.
As far as the dept is concerned, there has to be a way to test how much knowledge the student has in their head, and so we end with a rote learning system.
It certainly kills much of the creativity, for all its ‘efficiency.’
The author should be asked for their input into a new curriculum.
@Carl Thompson: That’s the old Junior Cert. This year’s Third Years are the last to do it. While there is not that much info on the exam for the new Junior Cyle, the projects, the CBAs, in second and third year will teach the students more skills and they will learn to research local history. The exam will probably be generic questions that the students twist their knowledge to suit, another skill in itself. Anyway who knows? The lack of information and the bloated size of the curriculum is still typical of the department. There is movement towards research and presentation, but also movement towards dumbing down.
@TheHeathen: CBAs are unlikely to teach students how to research properly though. Most will type their question into google and use the first couple of pages to write their CBA.
@Carl Thompson: 13-15yr olds should be learning facts, chronology, concepts, cause and effect etc. Skills like analysis of sources, marshalling facts to argue a point, critical thinking, research etc can only be developed once you have a secure knowledge base and a broad understanding of the sweep of history. If you don’t teach students factual knowledge at that age most are not likely to seek it out later you and you end up with students who have no historical knowledge and therefore no understanding of history at all and you can’t have a fully functioning democracy when a large chunk of the population have no knowledge of the past.
@Damon16: I disagree, skills and knowledge go hand in hand. You talk about students with ‘no understanding of history’… simply being able to list Martin Luther did during the Reformation isn’t real knowledge (which will get you full marks in the JC ‘essays’). 12-15 year olds are fully capable of critical thinking and analysis if taught properly.
I think there’s no harm in learning facts as I did, sometimes reluctantly, in school. I emerged with a naïve view but, as I matured and things happened, I started seeing connections and developed balanced views. You can’t teach children maturity but you can show them broad patterns, basic chronology which they can develop as they grow. In fact, in the UK, there’s been an emphasis on WW2 whereas no one can really properly understand it without a grounding in 19th century history at least.
Time is a problem in school, trying to fit in every worthy activity is impossible. I think I gained immensely from doing Latin and wonder if everyone should do Art and Home Economics for their mental and practical welfare. Conversely I question Maths being compulsory after a certain age – I say that as a retired Maths/Science teacher
The other major blind spot is the National Museum of Ireland has no exhibition to An Gorta Mor in Collins Barracks suppression by omission this is the greatest cover up in Irish and British history since the States foundation.
32 governments, 9 Presidents and 14 Taoiseach’s.
Well done.
A very good article.
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