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Barack Obama seemed to think he was in Ireland while he was speaking at Cop26 in Glasgow

Barack Obama seemed to think he was in Ireland while he was speaking at Cop26 in Glasgow

Safe to say, Americans don’t always have the best reputation for getting geography right on this side of the Atlantic.

And an event that has really laid bare this stereotype is Cop26. First, CNN journalist Wolf Blitzer got sent to and announced he was reporting from Edinburgh, despite the conference very much taking place in Glasgow.

And now Barack Obama has suffered to understand the complexities of the map, claiming he was on the ‘Emerald Isles’ - how people describe Ireland - despite being in Scotland, which is more the Irn-Bru Isles.

Quoting William Shakespeare’s Othello, the former President said: “Since we’re here in the Emerald Isles, let me quote the bard. What wound did ever heal but by degrees?”

Let’s not even begin to explain that Scots also often quote Robert Burns as their bard - not Shakespeare...

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He continued: “Our planet has been wounded by our actions - those wounds won’t be healed today, or tomorrow, or the next, but they can be healed by degrees.

“If we start with that spirit and each of us can fight through the occasional frustration and dread, if we pledge to do our part and then follow through on those commitments, I believe we can secure a better future. We have to.

“And what a profound and noble task to set for ourselves.

“I’m ready for the long haul if you are, so let’s get to work.’

And so, as is the way, people jumped on Twitter not to debate climate change or Obama’s message on the matter, but to roast him for his slip:

Elsewhere in the speech, Obama called on young people to “stay angry” in the fight against climate change put pressure on politicians to act. He criticised former president Donald Trump for his stance on the issue and slammed China and Russia for not physically attending the conference.

But it was his Emerald Isles gaffe that really stuck out.

Thank goodness Scots have no sense of national identity and patriotism.

Oh wait...

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