Death on the roads and violence on the street as well as positive results for the majority in the Leaving Cert, are some of the main concerns identified by the current editions of the regional papers. The Leaving Cert results get wide coverage in words and pictures.
But death on the roads continues to get major treatment, with the Leinster Leader carrying a front-page headline which reads, "Drink, speed and reckless youth blamed for rise in road carnage". The report beneath, by Joan Walsh, says the road death toll in the Carlow-Kildare division has risen by more than 50 per cent in the past year.
The report goes on: "A total of 22 people were killed in road accidents since the beginning of the year, compared with 14 for the same period last year. The majority were males and were under the age of 25."
A local Garda sergeant of the Naas traffic corps is quoted: "Drink and speed are among the main contributors to road deaths.
"There has been a big increase in the number of drunk-driving arrests, not alone here but nationwide," he said.
The Fermanagh Herald, celebrating the good results of local pupils in their exams, has a poignant report of a young man from St Michael's Grammar School who was killed in a road accident on his way to sitting his final exam.
Gerald Durnin scored top marks in his other subjects of chemistry, physics, maths and further maths, the paper reports.
The Mayo News and the Echo and South Leinster Times carry front-page photos of three young women who died in road accidents in Clonroche, Co Wexford, and between Westport and Louisburgh, Co Mayo.
The Dungarvan Leader leads its front page with the headline: "Top marks for Leaving Cert students". It goes on to state: "Pat Buckley of Dungarvan Regional College reports a 100 per cent success rate among students, with many students getting enough points to pursue the third-level course of their choice."
The Derry People and Donegal News reports that: "In a random survey of schools across the [area] the general consensus was that grades were up and the majority of exam students were pleased with their results."
The same attitude was reported in many other regional papers.
The Westmeath Examiner proudly proclaimed: "Rochfortbridge student's seven As in Leaving Cert".
The principal of St Joseph's school at Rochfortbridge, Mr Tony O'Sullivan, is photographed with the successful student, Mr Thomas Doyle from Rhode.
The Southern Star has a front-page colour photograph of smiling girls from Mercy Heights Secondary School in Skibbereen - Ms Frances Collins, Ms Gemma O'Sullivan, Ms Dearbhail O'Driscoll and Ms Michelle Tobin, clearly happy with their exam results. But all is not sweetness and light in the south. The Waterford News & Star and the Munster Express both turn their front-page focus onto a statement by a local town commissioner, Mr Michael Flynn, which referred to Tramore as a "tacky Irish Ibiza".
The Express report by Jamie O'Keeffe reads: "Outspoken Town Commissioner, Michael Flynn, says the carry-on which attached itself to last weekend's controversial car show `has helped Tramore to move a couple of notches up the ladder in its efforts to become the tackiest, scruffiest town in Ireland'."
He went on to say the town "had been put under siege for the third time in a year by a group of hooligans on wheels".
The News & Star also gives the matter front-page treatment and reports: "It is estimated that close to 600 boy racers descended on the town for the weekend and Tramore gardai tried to minimise the disturbance and intimidation, and break up the groups as much as possible."
The paper devotes its editorial to the problem and comments: "A letter to the editor details the exploits of a large number of visitors from Dublin's inner city over the August bank holiday weekend. While their parents went to the pub they congregated on the town's streets and one of their favourite activities appeared to be beating up local youths."
Tramore is not the only town which has street violence problems.
Kerry's Eye headlines a report which says: "A 14-year-old boy is recovering after being stabbed in an unprovoked attack in Pembroke Street [Tralee]."
The boy apparently "intervened in a dispute between other teenagers. He walked away without getting involved and was on his way home [when] a young man ran up behind him and stabbed him five times in the back."
The incident also gets front-page treatment in the Kerryman which says; "Gardai are following a definite line of inquiry and a file is being prepared for the DPP." The same paper reports: "This latest attack follows little more than a week after a man was stabbed in the back with a five-inch knife during an incident [in a bar] in Blennerville."
Better news is reported by the Donegal Democrat which, in a report by Daniel Browne, says: "Political sources have this week claimed that a gas pipeline from Derry to Donegal is due to be announced in weeks."