Ireland

Only 16 months after shooting it down the first time, voters in Ireland have decisively approved a wide-ranging treaty to overhaul how the European Union is run and to give the 27-nation body a more forceful presence on the world stage, early returns showed today. And the biggest winner may turn out to be someone who couldn't even cast a ballot: former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is the hot favorite to become the EU's first president under the new system, which would vault him firmly back into the international limelight that he basks in. Returns in Ireland today, the day after voters went to the polls, showed the so-called Lisbon Treaty passing by a wide margin.

Bono wants to save the world. But can the U2 front man save his homeland? Not long ago, the relentlessly philanthropic rock star, his band and a team of property developers looked at Dublin's dilapidated docklands and envisioned a tower that would rise like an exclamation mark punctuating the Irish capital's rejuvenation. The U2 Tower would be Ireland's tallest building, complete with luxury apartments and a recording studio for Bono and the boys.

The "Yes on the EU" bus rolled into town blaring a foot-stomping "Galway Girl" from its megaphone one afternoon last week, but what it got was a whole lot of no. An Irishman has always been a hard sell, and never more so than when issues of sovereignty are at stake. "People died for your freedom," declares one of the signs that have popped up in this agricultural town as Ireland prepares to vote June 12 on the European Union's new constitution. "Don't throw it away."

When Ireland entered the world's most ambitious economic alliance -- the European Union -- more than a decade ago, the Celtic Tiger roared to life. Membership in Europe's private club, along with the subsequent adoption of the euro, lured scores of multinational companies to this country and ushered in an unprecedented era of growth.

CROWNED at Cannes one minute only to be buried in Britain the next, Ken Loach's new film, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley," arrives in the U.S. with a rabble-rousing reputation. In May, Loach marched up Cannes' red steps to receive his first Palme d'Or, a sparkling moment in a career spanning some 40 years. But just hours later across the Channel, a British backlash had begun against the film, which delves into Ireland's troubled colonial past. "Why does this man loathe his country so much?"

Hard-liners were ahead in an election for control of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Protestants of the Democratic Unionists and the Catholics of Sinn Fein appeared on course to strengthen their hold over each side of the Assembly. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley and his deputy, Peter Robinson, were among the first to win easy reelection.

How about a glass of wine to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? That might not sit well on the stomach of many residents of Ireland's capital Saturday as they mark the year's biggest party with copious quantities of Guinness, the rich, dark beer with a creamy head that is the national drink.

Prime Minister Bertie Ahern called a parliamentary election for May 24, but opinion polls show his Fianna Fail party faces a close battle. Polls show Fianna Fail and its coalition partner, the pro-business Progressive Democrats, are neck-and-neck with the main opposition alternative, Fine Gael, which has teamed up with the left-leaning Labor Party to try to prevent Ahern from becoming the first Irish prime minister to win a third consecutive term.

Deals to Europe are rare in summer, but here's an airfare, car rental and hotel package to Ireland that just might fit the bill. The deal: Los Angeles travelers receive round-trip airfare to Dublin or Shannon, one night's stay at a hotel, five nights at Irish farmhouse bed-and-breakfasts (there are 450 to choose from) and a rental car with unlimited mileage. The package is $1,099 in May, June, September and October and $1,199 in July and August.

Voters decided Thursday whether to stick with the 10-year-old government of Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, amid rising concern over the cost of living and other issues. The elections have been the most competitive in decades, raising the possibility of a "hung" parliament in which no party commands a majority. Analysts say that Ahern is likely to remain prime minister but that any of the smaller parties in parliament could end up with the balance of power.