There's gold in them thar hills, according to the Armagh Observer which reported on a gold deposit in neighbouring Co Monaghan.
It said the precious metal had been found to exist in what it called "the Armagh-Monaghan Gold Belt". It also speculated that "a number of economic gold deposits" could be located within the 1,300 sq km over which Conroy (the exploring company which has rights to the area) holds licences.
On the same theme the Connaught Telegraph reported that a gold-mining company had lodged an appeal against a judgment in favour of Mayo County Council. The Glencar-Andaman exploring company sued the council for £2 million, claiming it had placed a blanket ban on gold-mining over a 300 sq m area. The matter now goes to the Supreme Court.
The Donegal Democrat was concerned about the "increasing scale of the drugs problem (in the county) and the means which pushers are now using to pursue their nefarious trade". It reported that the head of the local Garda drugs unit described the problem as serious. The editorial said: "Gardai are working hard to halt the spread of drugs, and publicans and club owners are also now being forced to take responsibility for what goes on in their premises."
The Kerryman turned its attention to sport in its editorial and asked why fewer than 14,000 people received tickets for Munster's rugby clash with Biarritz at the weekend when Fitzgerald Park in Killarney could hold 40,000. "It may be time for the GAA to sit down with other sports bodies in this country and offer the hand of friendship and common sense," it said, rather than having a ban on other sports being played on GAA property.
The Leinster Leader said tough anti-litter legislation was being implemented in Kildare to force people to clean up their act. "Anyone leaving or throwing litter in public is subject to an on-the-spot fine of £50 or a maximum fine of £1,500 in court."
Waste disposal is a topic which never fails to attract local coverage. The Meath Chronicle reported that pressure was building on Meath County Council to rescind its adoption of the North East Waste Management Draft Plan as opposition to the proposed incinerator at Carranstown, Duleek, gathered momentum.
The Roscommon Herald reported that "an infestation of rats, flies, birds, disgusting smells and pollution of watercourses" were among the topics discussed at a public meeting in Roscommon town addressing "the current and escalating difficulties with Roscommon town dump".
Wexford is a black spot as far as unemployment is concerned, according to the New Ross Standard. A front-page article concentrated on the loss of 30 jobs at the Dutch Hartman manufacturing company. "The shock announcement comes just two years after 70 workers were let go from the plant and follows swiftly on the heels of the closure of Celtic Seafoods late last year," the paper said.
The local SIPTU branch secretary, Michael Wall, was reported as saying "Wexford needed to be termed a black spot in terms of jobs and the message needed to be shouted from the rooftops".
Better news came from the Sligo Champion which reported that £25 million "has been earmarked for new services and developments by the North Western Health Board, with up to 600 new jobs to be created in a range of areas including nursing, medical, paramedical and dental". More than £9 million will be spent on two "acute hospitals in Letterkenny and Sligo".
The Waterford News & Star tackled vandalism. Its editorial said: "A minority of young teenagers, ranging in age from 13 to 17 years with, apparently, no grey matter between their ears, are getting their kicks from smashing windows, breaking public lighting and doing all they can to disrupt our vital public transport system."