It is not often that religious fervour grips the imagination of regional newspapers but the arrival of relics associated with St Therese of Lisieux gets front-page coverage in several newspapers from the south-east region.
The Echo and South Leinster Advertiser leads with the news of the arrival of the saint's relics and reports that: "Thousands of people in Wexford and Enniscorthy gathered at the weekend to witness a unique occasion. Several thousand waited patiently at Rosslare port as the casket bearing the saint's relics made its first appearance."
The same paper devoted space to the event on four inside pages.
The New Ross Standard had a colour photograph, front-page coverage of the arrival of the relics and also reported the event on three inside pages while the Wexford People's front-page headline said: "Relics draw 30,000" and supported that with colour pictures, mentioning the matter on five inside pages.
The Gorey Guardian, too, gave the event colour coverage on the front page. The report said: "The visit [of the relics] is seen locally as the most significant event ever in the history of St Michael's Church."
The Laois Nationalist, the Kildare Nationalist and the Kilkenny People also featured the arrival of the relics.
The foot-and-mouth problem was covered in most papers, with the Midland Tribune reporting the finding of stray calves on a road near Roscrea on Easter Sunday. "The gardai reported the matter to the Department of Agriculture and were told to move them to the Roscrea pound. They were moved again on Monday and then slaughtered." The paper reported that no marking or ear-tags were found on the animals.
The Meath Weekender reported: "Local residents in Trim have voiced concern over the regular dumping of animals in the river Boyne. A local woman says that over a seven-week period she found a dead lamb, a dead sheep, a pair of lungs, an animal head and some intestines."
The same paper reported that a local Trim councillor, Mr Phil Cantwell, walked out of a council meeting when the resident who reported the matter was refused permission to speak.
The Westmeath Examiner continued to highlight illegal dumping in the area. In a previous report the paper pointed out that the "remains of several untagged calves had been found as well as eight [wrecked] cars. The paper returned to the scene last week and reported that they found "even more illegal dumping and acre after acre of burned land". The dumping is taking place on a "secluded stretch of road at Macetown near Cloughan". Photographs were included in the report.
The Kilkenny People reported: "£2 million for St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny will see beds banned from corridors after this July."
It went on to say that "a new three-storey building at St Luke's has just been completed with six coronary care beds and 28 general medical beds." The same paper reported: "An 81-yearold Kilkenny woman waited over eight hours for a bed after being admitted to hospital. The woman died two days after she was admitted to the casualty department of Waterford Regional Hospital."
The Western People had a five-page colour supplement devoted to the victory of Crossmolina-Deel Rovers over Nemo Rangers of Cork in the All-Ireland club football final in Croke Park last week. The Mayo News also gave 10 of the 20-page sports supplement to the victory.
The Sligo Champion took up the litter theme in its lead article reporting: "Litter louts beware, Sligo County Council is on the war path. With illegal dumping now a growing problem, the council has vowed that it will not tolerate this shameful situation."
The paper also celebrated the fact that the editor of the Sunday Independent had apologised for a front-page article in his paper which branded Sligo a "white Harlem" and a "savage little town" following an assault on a member of the Westlife boyband in the town some weeks ago.
The controversy following the decision of the GAA not to open Croke Park for sports such as rugby and soccer refuses to go away. The Kilkenny People described the decision in the following phrase: "The association had the ball at their feet but they mis-kicked badly. It was an own goal."
The Weekender put up a headline: "Ban mentality is alive and sick" on Noel Coogan's comment piece and the Offaly Independent commented editorially on the issue: "The nationalistic approach for sole support for the GAA to the exclusion of `foreign games' is as near dead as possible."
The Limerick Leader turned its editorial attention to the controversy about the Arms Trial and to the part played in it by local TD Mr Des O'Malley, who was Minister for Justice at the time. "Some people have had cause down through the turbulent years of his long political career to doubt Dessie O'Malley's judgment. None has had reason to impugn his integrity. Nor is there any reason now. The case for a full judicial inquiry is unanswerable."