Alms for Allah appeal in the west

THE Connaught Telegraph appealed to its readers to support their local mosque.

"Catholics asked to fund Mayo mosque repairs" said the headline on Tom Shiels's story that Muslims in the west of Ireland "have issued an SOS to save their mosque".

An immediate financial injection is needed if the building in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, with its onion shaped dome, is to survive the elements. Since the departure from the town of Sher Rafique, who built the mosque, the remaining 50 or so practising Muslims have found it difficult to maintain the upkeep of the landmark, said the newspaper.

Mr Rafique left Ballyhaunis after the collapse of the Halal meat processing plant some years ago. Mohammed Hani Kesse, one of the worshippers, said: "It's a very serious problem. This is the house of God where everybody comes to pray but it is very, very costly to maintain.

"The situation has all changed since Mr Rafique left. When he was here, things were perfect. He spent a lot of money on the building. We need somebody like him now to help us."

Fianna Fail's national director of elections, Mr P.J. Mara, was quoted by the Tipperary Star as stating that "certainly the message to us is that increasingly the electorate in Ireland are looking to their own community interests first... There is a terrifically strong sense of place with the electorate at the moment."

And so the Meath Chronicle predicted the emergence of an antiDunshaughlin dump ticket in the Taoiseach's home county, where he was also denying allegations he had interfered with the Dunboyne Development Plan to benefit Bruton family land.

In Roscrea, Co Tipperary, the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, pledged he was "spiritually, physically and financially committed to Roscrea" (where he was educated by the Cistercians) and would "do his very best to decentralise to Roscrea as much as possible", said the Midland Tribune.

A mixed reception greeted the Government's announcement that it intends to provide additional incentives to industry to set up in provincial areas. Who are you codding, IDA?" said the Longford Leader. "We thought that this was always the remit of the IDA and indeed we can recall various IDA officials over the years claiming that places like Dublin got no special favours when it came to the IDA looking for new industries. Nobody in places like Longford ever believed that, of course."

Welcoming the move, the Donegal Democrat said: "Not all areas have experienced the feel good factor of new employment... The news last week that the latest Labour Force Survey had shown Donegal to have the highest rate of unemployment in the State suggests that rather than riding the Celtic Tiger we in the north west appear to be clinging to its tail," it said.

IN Cavan they hadn't even managed to grab the tail, judging by the Anglo Celt's report of "much bad news" on the economic front. Monaghan county councillors are "fuming" over the loss of the £113 million waste incinerator/energy facility to north Dublin, while east Cavan has recently lost 160 jobs.

Elsewhere, pre election spending made headlines. The Western People and Roscommon Champion trumpeted the Taoiseach's announcement that Dillon House, Ballaghaderreen, is to be refurbished to the tune of £300,000 as a headquarters of the Western Development Commission.

The Sligo Champion headlined with the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht's allocation of £1.25 million for a cultural centre to be known as the Sligo Model Arts Centre. The Leinster Leader led with the Government's approval of £400,000 for a cultural centre for Newbridge, Co Kildare. And the Nationalist and Leinster Times said Carlow RTC has secured approval to begin work on a £10 million extension.

Notable among the local political stories was the rising career of colourful Independent, Cllr Mae Sexton, who will be the one to watch in Longford, where she has committed herself to the Progressive Democrats, thereby - in the words of the Longford Leader - "casting a shadow over Fine Gael's bid to recoup Senator Louis Belton's seat".

The Impartial Reporter focused on the visit to Enniskillen by the Taoiseach, with the headline: "Foster: why I was right to meet John Bruton". "Praised by nationalists, criticised by the DUP. That's how Ulster Unionist chairman of Fermanagh District Council, Mr Sammy Foster, faced councillors on Monday after holding out the hand of friendship to [Mr Bruton]."

The newspaper's editorial praised Mr Foster for braving criticism a few months before an election and "for doing the right thing for the county as a whole."

It added: "It does seem incredible that over 30 years after Terence O'Neill was pilloried for daring to extend the hand of friendship to Sean Lomass, the same catch cries are still in vogue. Plus en change...