Paul Martin turns bartender in Ireland, wins cheers from locals

GLENCULLEN, Ireland (CP) - Paul Martin might face some tough election battles in Canada, but he would surely win
hands down in the tiny Irish mountain village Glencullen.

The prime minister won some devoted new fans during his trip to Ireland on Tuesday by dropping into the local
pub to take over as bartender. Martin slipped behind the beer taps at Johnnie Fox's to pour a few pints of Guinness - the thick black beer dear to Irish hearts.
He won cheers and rave reviews from locals more than happy to accept a free pint, even if he did spill a bit.
"It's not everyday a prime minister pours you a pint," said one lucky drinker clearly pleased with his good fortune.
But how did the real bartender rate Martin's performance?
"Not bad for 30 seconds training," he said.
Guinness marked the start and the end of Martin's visit to his ancestral homeland.
On Sunday night, he kicked off his trip by treating journalists to a meal and tipping back one or two pints himself.
He's off to Scotland early Wednesday for the G8 meeting.

See, why doesn't he do this stuff in Canada? pssh. anyways in other news:

Penticton gallery provides temporary home for 40 pilfered gnomes

PENTICTON, B.C. (CP) - It was a crime of miniature proportions.

A collection of 40 stolen garden gnomes appeared Tuesday in a traffic circle outside the South Okanagan Art
Gallery.
The gallery has come to their rescue.
"We're setting up a gnome reclamation centre," curator Kurtis Collins said Wednesday.
The stolen gnomes occupied the same place where a nude male statue was erected and then removed after it was
vandalized.
Penticton is about 300 kilometres east of Vancouver.