The rejection of the Nice Treaty and the low turn-out of voters in the referendums is reflected in many of the current regional papers. The Kildare Nationalist gives front-page coverage to its headline conclusion: "Kildare vote reflects rest of the country".
The report by James Fitzgerald says: "The Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, has admitted that the process of EU enlargement could be slowed by Ireland's rejection of the Nice Treaty".
The Gorey Guardian reflects much of the indecision on the matter with a headline that says: "The country went to the polls to vote on the Nice Treaty and two other referenda. But did anyone really understand what they were being asked to vote on?".
The Longford News headlines the fact that: "Longford-Roscommon rejects Nice Treaty" and elsewhere it says the vote "primarily reflected a nation that did not take the matter seriously enough to warrant turning up at their local polling stations to cast their votes". The subject is carried under a headline which says: "Abysmal turnout at polling stations across the country".
The Anglo Celt leads its front page with the headline: "Slim `Yes' vote in Cavan for Nice Treaty". Its report says: "As the Taoiseach and the Government continue to take the blame for (the) Nice referendum debacle moves are presently afoot at higher EU level to try to assist Ireland resolve its anxieties about the treaty".
The Waterford News & Star comments editorially on the issue thus: "We stand accused of selfishness by, firstly, turning our backs on the Eastern European countries waiting in line to join the EU. We also stand accused of wanting to back off from the EU now that we are to become net contributors. The reality of the situation is that even having said No to Nice , we will still become net contributors".
The Roscommon Champion says: "With less than one in those registered going to the polls, Roscommon-Longford voters joined others around the country in rejecting the Nice Treaty. Just under 32 per cent of the constituency's registered electorate of over 67,000 went to the polls to decide on the three issues in question".
Kerry's Eye reports: "The rejection by the Irish people of the Nice Treaty in such a resounding fashion leaves no room for doubt on the issue. Kerry North has the second biggest percentage in the nation voting against the treaty. Thirty two point seven per cent of the voters in Kerry North went to the polling booths and over 60 per cent of them voted against the treaty. In South Kerry 32 per cent voted with 55 per cent of them rejecting the treaty".
In the Western People, Denis Daly's report on the matter is headlined: "Mayo voters (who voted) said No to Nice". Daly says: "A mere 30.10 per cent of the 90,335 people entitled to vote in Mayo actually bothered to go to the polling booth and say yea or nea".
In his comment piece in the same paper, Christy Loftus asks: "In the history of this little state of ours has there ever been a more arrogant approach to the electorate than that adopted by the Government, by the opposition and by the fourth estate? Bertie must take the brunt of the blame. They (the electorate) were saying to Bertie and his troops `Don't take us for granted' ".
The Donegal People's Press says: "Donegal North-East's electorate returned a resounding `No' to the Nice Treaty and a stark level of apathy in equal measure in the three referenda".
The same paper celebrates in a headline referring to the election of Sinn Fein's Pat Doherty in the West Tyrone election to the House of Commons. "Pat, who lives in Carrigart, is the first Donegal MP since partition" says the caption under a front-page colour picture of the new MP and his wife, Mary, in the Omagh Leisure Centre after his election victory.
On its front page, the Waterford News & Star concentrates on more mundane matters, namely the seizure by the Revenue Commissioners of: " £1.5m worth of spirits and tobacco".
Sport and sporting matters feature largely in all the regional papers. Last week the Government announced its programme of grants for sporting bodies and not everyone was happy.
Back to the Donegal People's Press, where a headline proclaims: "McDaid defends £2.5m allocation". This appears over a report by Daniel Browne that says: "The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr James McDaid, has rejected suggestions that North Donegal has been getting too much money for sports projects compared to the rest of the county and, indeed, the rest of the country".
The same paper reports: "As Minister James McDaid announced the annual round of lottery grants for sports facilities, clubs in Donegal were rubbing their hands together after a £2.5 million windfall".
Further south, the Sligo Champion gives front-page treatment to the report by Michael Moran that: "Sligo Showgrounds could be transformed into a multi-million pound sports and recreation centre under a proposed partnership between Sligo Rovers football club and Sligo Corporation. Negotiations are continuing" we are told.