The week that was at a glance
Lolly? No
Barron Hilton, whose father Conrad founded the hotel chain, is to give almost all of his $2.3 billion (€1.6 billion) fortune to charity rather than to family members. He is said to be so ashamed of his granddaughter Paris Hilton's antics that he doesn't want to leave her and her relatives with unearned wealth. Instead, he is setting up a foundation to help the "the suffering, the distressed and the destitute". And Paris, it appears, fits none of these categories.
Tally-ho
The Minister for the Environment John Gormley's rather complex set of restrictions to the licence of the Ward Union stag hunt in Co Meath had a major impact this week. The event was cut short when the restrictions scuppered even the modest plans allowed for. More than 100 people had attended. "We'll go back to the drawing board . . . the current licence is not operable," said a hunt spokesperson.
Quote of the week
'This is nuts'
A passer-by observes the queue outside Next on Grafton Street, Dublin, where the sale began at 5am
We now know...
Israeli researchers have produced the world's smallest Bible, in Hebrew, on a microchip smaller than a pinhead.
Every goat and sheep in the EU will have to be electronically tagged by the end of 2009
Playing tennis and other games on a Nintendo Wii is not enough to make you fit, according to a British study
The Numbers
7.8mNumber of overseas visitors to Ireland in 2007 - a record total
€52mAnnual value of stallion stud fees in Ireland
€1Sale price of a €1,699 bed at Clerys