Enda Kenny was visiting an Offaly primary school and the class was in the middle of a discussion about words and their meanings.
The teacher asked Mr Kenny if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'Tragedy'.
So Mr.Kenny asked the class if they could think of an example of a tragedy.
A little boy stood up and said, 'If a man walks out in front of a bus and is killed stone dead, then that is a tragedy."
'Incorrect,' said Enda 'That would merely be an accident.'
A little girl stood up and said 'If a school bus carrying thirty children drove over a cliff, killing everybody inside, that would be a tragedy.'
'I'm afraid not', said Enda, 'That's what we would call a great loss'.
The room went silent. No other kid volunteered. Enda searched the room.
'Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?'
Finally, little Johnny raised his hand from the back of the class and said, 'If a plane carrying you and all the Fine Gael and Labour T.D.s was hit by a missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy.'
'Fantastic!' exclaimed Enda.'And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?'
'Well,' said little Johnny, 'It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss, and it probably wouldn't be a f***ing accident either'
The teacher asked Mr Kenny if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'Tragedy'.
So Mr.Kenny asked the class if they could think of an example of a tragedy.
A little boy stood up and said, 'If a man walks out in front of a bus and is killed stone dead, then that is a tragedy."
'Incorrect,' said Enda 'That would merely be an accident.'
A little girl stood up and said 'If a school bus carrying thirty children drove over a cliff, killing everybody inside, that would be a tragedy.'
'I'm afraid not', said Enda, 'That's what we would call a great loss'.
The room went silent. No other kid volunteered. Enda searched the room.
'Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?'
Finally, little Johnny raised his hand from the back of the class and said, 'If a plane carrying you and all the Fine Gael and Labour T.D.s was hit by a missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy.'
'Fantastic!' exclaimed Enda.'And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?'
'Well,' said little Johnny, 'It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss, and it probably wouldn't be a f***ing accident either'
