The place of sport in the life of the community is reflected vividly on a weekly basis in the regional newspapers. All of them devote considerable space to sport, with the Kingdom devoting 22 of its 72 pages to sport last week. The Wicklow People has a sport supplement, as does the Wexford People. The Waterford News and Star has nine pages of sport and the Nenagh Guardian has a front-page report of the success of locally-born Tom Foley, who has become a successful steeplechase jockey in South Carolina in the US.
The Sligo Champion reports a "proposed £130 million shopping centre which will transform the heart of Sligo town" and also reports that the county manager, Mr Hubert Kearns, "has authorised legal proceedings against Eircell over the unauthorised placing of a mobile phone telecommunications mast on a former national school in Strandhill".
A similar problem has arisen in Longford, where the Longford Leader reports on "the controversial decision to erect an Eircell antenna in the belfry of the Church of Ireland in Ballymahon without planning permission".
The paper reports that this has "resulted in a wave of local anger and a major campaign is now under way to reverse the action".
"Locals recently became aware that the Eircell antenna had been covertly placed in the belfry of St Catherine's Church in Ballymahon and learned that planning permission had never been sought."
The Longford News leads its front page with the same story and reports that "Eircell has declined a request from Longford County Council to either remove or seek planning permission for the antenna". The matter, we are told, has been referred to An Bord Pleanala.
BOTH Longford papers pay frontpage tribute to the late Brendan O'Reilly, the athlete and broadcaster who was born in Granard. The Kilkenny People reports that "Kilkenny will rock to the music of a living legend this summer" when Bob Dylan will perform at "the GAA headquarters in Nowlan Park".
The Fermanagh Herald is concerned about the availability of the "date rape" drug Rohypnol in the Fermanagh area. The paper says that "the Nexus Institute, Enniskillen, has issued a warning to pub and club owners to be more vigilant".
The Leitrim Observer takes up the same story and reports that "there is a growing concern that the drug is being used in the north-west after several reports of drinks being spiked in pubs within the region".
The Western People is concerned about tourism in the area and its lead story says that there is a "new drive to bring tourists to rural heartlands".
The report says "a major drive to spread tourism beyond the established resorts and larger towns and into rural areas in the western region" was launched in Ballaghaderreen. It adds that the tourism co-ordinating steering group for the region "marked the beginning of the full implementation of the Western Development Commission's recommendations to boost rural tourism".
The Midland Tribune turns its attention to the question of global warming.
In its editorial its says "the threat of global warming to mankind's future existence on this planet has been highlighted in the past week, with the US President, George W. Bush's decision to ignore the Kyoto Agreement on emissions. The decision could have far-reaching consequences for the six billion people or so who inhabit the earth."
THE Anglo-Celt reports: "A unique cross-Border ceremony took place when the Ministers for Education of the Republic and of Northern Ireland jointly opened Gaelscoil Eois, the Irish-language school at Annykilly, Clones. Both Dr Michael Woods and Mr Martin McGuinness unveiled a plaque in one of the classrooms to mark the occasion."
The Kerryman leads its front page with a report of opposition to a bank holiday car rally in Killarney.
The report says: "Killarney traders fear it will wipe out trade in the town on one of its busiest weekends of the year."
The report says that "with the exception of council chairman Sean Counihan, councillors unanimously backed the rally stage which will see 60 drivers lap the town for two hours [on Sunday, May 6th]."
The Leinster Express has a front-page headline of "No marks for dirty students". The report says that "Laois council staff were disgusted at the sight of piles of paper, crisp packets, plastic bottles and cardboard signs left behind by striking Leaving Certificate students outside County Hall last week".
Photographs of the rubbish left behind were published.
The Donegal People's Press reports that "Letterkenny has been chosen as the location for the 2002 International Convention of Hell's Angels. The convention is expected to bring several thousand visitors this time next year, adding a welcome boost to tourism revenue," the paper says.