Movement was remarkably restored to the upper arms and neck of a quadriplegic when he fell from his wheelchair in Newbridge, Co Kildare, last week. The Leinster Leader reports that Simon Dobson (27), from Essex, was on holiday in the area with his parents when he fell and a local man who helped him up inadvertently restored movement to his upper body. Simon's father Frank is convinced the man possesses a healing power and would love to meet him again.
A front-page article in the Limerick Leader states that a "most unusual" Garda investigation has been completed after a man was admitted to Limerick Regional Hospital on two occasions with serious injuries. He told gardai he had been attacked at his home and shot during an attempted break-in. On arrival at his home gardai found him bleeding heavily from an injury to his thigh. But when taken to hospital doctors became suspicious of his claim that he had been shot.
Gardai told the newspaper that the man had inflicted the injury on himself so that he could get treatment in hospital and receive morphine injections, to which he was addicted.
A file has been sent to the DPP and the man may be prosecuted for wasting Garda time.
In the south-east, the actions of over 100 Traveller families who "hijacked" public areas of Tramore over the June bank holiday weekend were condemned as blackguardism of the highest order by the Mayor of Waterford, Alderman Pat Hayes.
The Waterford News & Star said the mayor's comments summed up the feelings of countless local people. Hoteliers and publicans were counting the cost after day trippers turned away in their droves from the resort when they failed to find parking. Tramore town commissioners are looking at ways of ensuring the incident is not repeated.
A man who barged into a Ballymahon pub in Co Longford at 1.30 a.m. and pulled two pints for himself refused to leave the premises for the licensee or gardai, according to the Longford News. Garda Kevin Ganly told the local district court that 12 gardai had to wait for Mr Joe Joyce, from Farragh, Moate, to finish his drinks as he was the "ring leader" of the Travellers and they feared there would be trouble if force was used.
Judge John F. Neilan said people were not allowed to exercise bully-boy tactics as Mr Joyce had, and he ordered the father of nine, who said he was drunk on the night and would never drink again, to make a voluntary payment of £1,000 to the licensee by December.
There was extensive coverage of the forthcoming South Tipperary by-election, brought about by the death of Labour's Mr Michael Ferris, in The Nationalist, where the editorial writer notes that the election takes place against a background of scandals and tribunal revelations which have left many people disillusioned with politics.
"But switching off politics, shutting our ears to the issues being debated and deciding that voting is a waste of your time is just giving in to the corrupt few who have tried to dirty the process," the writer states before advising everyone to go out and vote.
A Garda superintendent in Mayo has expressed concern that bar exemptions could be unknowingly granted for debs' balls which are attended by school-leavers still under the age of 18, the Western People reports.
At Westport district court, Supt Pat Doyle criticised applicants for exemptions who knowingly described their functions as house dances, when in fact a debs' ball was being held. It was against the law for persons under 18 to be on a premises where a bar exemption was in operation, he said.
The leader writer in the Tuam Herald said the attack on two elderly men in Co Meath last week had once again sent a frisson of fear through old people and those living alone throughout the State.
"The unpalatable truth is that isolated houses miles from the nearest village are not the most suitable dwelling places for the elderly. They are too vulnerable to attack. In ancient times people gathered in villages for protection against marauders - perhaps the time has come to encourage a similar movement back to centralised locations," the writer stated.