Newspapers throughout the State continue to be concerned about street violence. The Anglo Celt reports a "Ballinagh man's brutal death" across the top of its latest front page. The report by Sean McMahon says: "The brutal death of a seventy-year-old while in his daughter's arms in the Bridge Street car-park area of Cavan town, following a vicious assault, has outraged the people and the deceased's native Ballinagh. Mr Paddy Jackson had just got out of his car when he was savagely attacked."
Elsewhere in the same paper a court report says: "A twenty-year-old Clones man, who attacked and assaulted a man whom he did not know on a footpath in the town and claimed that he did not have any explanation for his `moment of madness', was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to the injured party."
Kerry's Eye has a front-page headline which reads "Mob Violence". The report underneath reads: "Three squad cars were called to a scene near Horan's Hotel, Tralee in the early hours of Sunday morning as over a hundred people became involved in a number of separate fights."
The same paper reports that "Cllr Brendan Cronin has called on the Minister for Justice, John O'Donoghue, to reverse the late opening pub hours, claiming it is a major factor in the havoc on the roads, streets and homes".
The Kerryman reports: "A Tralee councillor has warned that an estate in the town has become a place of fear after a number of incidents in which families have been intimidated and attempts made to force them out of their homes."
A report under the front-page headline "Streets of Fear" tells us that "the decision to extend pub opening hours has resulted in street violence at all hours of the morning and a poorer quality of life, according to Killarney Garda Supt Michael Maher".
THE Sligo Champion gives front-page prominence to an attack on a schoolboy, "who was the victim of a frenzied knife attack by three youths on his way home from school. The boy's father said his son thought he would be killed as the gang slashed at him indiscriminately with kitchen knives".
The same paper, in an editorial headed "Thuggery on Our Streets", says: "The incident sends a chilling message to parents of young children but it would be pure folly to consider it an isolated case."
The Roscommon Herald gives prominence to a report that "elderly residents at St Coman's Park - a small local authority estate in Roscommon town specifically designed for the elderly - have been undergoing serious night-time harassment for a number of months. Some residents are so fearful for their safety that they are afraid of falling asleep in their own homes."
The Wexford Echo reports a "second syringe attack robbery in the space of three weeks took place in the town at the weekend. Gardai said the threat to staff (in the Xtra Vision Store in Redmond Square) was terrifying. The culprit demanded cash and made his getaway with £90."
The Echo also reports that "a man charged with assaulting another with an iron bar was remanded in custody at a local court and two co-defendants had their cases adjourned".
The Roscommon Champion headlines: "Jail sentence for Castlerea man guilty of assault." The paper says "a Castlerea man who trained as a boxer was jailed for six months" after pleading guilty to an assault in the Main Street.
The same paper reports that "a man who swung a part of a shovel at a garda received a suspended sentence of two months at a recent sitting of Roscommon District Court".
A Longford Leader headline says: "Three teenagers in court after Leaving Certificate brawl" and "three local youths (were) before a special sitting of Edgeworthstown Court". Fines were imposed.
The New Ross Standard says: "Increased violent crime on the streets of New Ross, particularly at the weekends, is expected to form the basis of an important meeting between local representatives and senior gardai. It is expected that councillors will meet with local gardai within the coming weeks to discuss an upsurge in crime in the town".
SEVERAL regional newspapers turn their attention to the referendums on the Nice Treaty and other questions. The Roscommon Champion says: "The three proposals are important ones. To assist in this regard, the Champion will be focusing on the issues involved."
The Midland Tribune headlines its editorial comment: "Public in the dark on three referendums." It goes on to say: "With such limited knowledge about the subjects, never mind the issues involved, one wonders how the public are expected to go out and vote on June 7th."
The Donegal People's Press gives both sides of the debate. The vice-president of Sinn Fein, Donegal man Pat Doherty, is given space to argue for a "No", vote, while Joe McCartin, MEP for Connacht-Ulster, argues for a "Yes" vote.
Many regional newspapers are continuing to expand and the latest of these is the Roscommon Herald, which has introduced a tabloid sports supplement of 16 pages that is welcome as well as colourful.