Ireland Around the Web: 07.16.08

Here are some Ireland items in the news lately:

• I suppose no one should be surprised at the antics of rock stars anymore, but it appears that Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones (who is, by the way, 61) has run off to Ireland with an 18-year-old Russian cocktail waitress. Perhaps my favorite headline comes from The Independent, which says “Even by Ronnie Wood’s standards, this is one hell of a bender.” Wood’s wife initially said the waitress was making the whole thing up, but now appears to be leaving the guitarist over the affair.
• If heading to a spa is more about relaxing than running to you, then consider Ireland’s Ice House in County Mayo, which makes this list of 10 spas where you can “tone without tears.”
• Ireland, Northern Ireland & Scotland are joining forces to create a “wind electricity grid” that would serve all three areas.
• Ireland may be the next destination for a gold rush.
• Ireland’s government is being criticized for “propping up” the Mugabe government in Zimbabwe.
• A new report says that nearly 490,000 people visited Ireland last year just for walking trips.
• Just because you’re a tourist in Ireland doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play the lottery… Seems an American tourist in Ireland may have won €15 million recently.
• If just visiting castles in Ireland isn’t exciting enough for you, then check this out – Ballygally Castle near the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland has been listed as one of the creepiest castles in Europe!
• Dublin takes the stage in that regular NY Times feature, “36 Hours in…”