So what’s all this about Enda winning the Nobel Prize?

Enda Kenny is off on another jaunt today, he's getting an award for himself while representing the EU. Not just any prize mind, he's getting the Nobel peace prize.

by Adrian Collins

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So, what's all this about everyone in the EU winning the Nobel peace prize?

Well, maybe. You could try putting it on your CV, but we wouldn't recommend it, since technically everyone won it. Or at least the European Union won it for the last six decades of “peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe”.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we're getting an invite to the ceremony either, since they're giving it to the presidents of the European Parliament, Commission and Council instead. Both Enda and our other leader, Angela Merkel, will be in attendance though, so we're well represented at the presentation.

So when did we win this prize?

In October, the Nobel committee announced that the EU had won the prestigious award, joining the ranks of such former winners as Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Kissinger, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. Given that Enda is already having a great year with his appearance on the cover of Time, and now an award to go with it, the Mayo native has certainly had a 2012 to look back on fondly come the New Year.

The decision to award it to the EU has raised a few eyebrows around the world, as it did in 2010 when the Nobel Committee honoured Barack Obama, after less than two years in the job. The EU has been around for a bit longer than that, but the timing still does seem a bit random.

Cut to the chase here, do I get any prize money?

With 27 members and nearly 500 million people, there probably won't be anything coming our way, but we can sit pretty knowing that we've done whatever it is that we did to save the day.