The importance of sport in the life of the nation is always reflected in the regional newspapers. The exploits of the Westmeath footballers in this year's All-Ireland championship are celebrated fittingly in the current provincial press.
The Westmeath Examiner gives front page treatment to the team's exploits this year with a statement from the team manager, Luke Dempsey, who said: "What I have to say to each and every fan, from the toddler in the over-sized jersey to the old man who remembers much, much leaner times, is `thank you'. Especially thank you from the players."
Westmeath were beaten by Meath in a replay in their ninth championship match of the season.
The Westmeath Independent echoes its rival with a front-page headline: "Westmeath dream shattered by mighty Meath." The report underneath says: "It had all the hallmarks of an epic tale of adventure. All that was lacking was the happy ending. The trek to Croke Park was becoming as regular as Mass-going and the gospel according to St Luke (Dempsey) was being rewritten."
Several regional papers addressed the problem of teenage drinking. The Tallaght Echo leads its front page with a photograph of a 16-year-old girl and a headline which says: "Teen dies after night drinking." The report says she "had attended a 21st birthday party with friends and is believed to have been drinking vodka and Red Bull during the course of the evening."
The same paper comments editorially: "Under-age drinking, particularly among those in their early to mid-teens, has become a serious problem in this country. Most teenagers are regularly drinking themselves into a state of intoxication. This can lead to violent crime, lost days at work and school and accidents some of which result in serious injury or even death."
The Meath Chronicle, in a report by Christina Hession, says: " A national ID card system is the only means of solving the under-age drinking problem, according to Summerhill publican, John Shaw, Meath's representative on the Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI)."
He is quoted as saying: "The VFI has been canvassing governments over the last decade for such a scheme and, although publicans have facilitated ID schemes in conjunction with the gardai, such schemes are not fool-proof."
The Wexford People reports that local gardai were on alert during the week for Leaving Cert students who might have overindulged: "Sgt Mick Walsh said he had detailed a public order unit to patrol the town with a brief to detect public order offences invariably resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol. My advice to youngsters is for them to think before they do something that they may regret for the rest of their lives."
THE Drogheda Independent has a front-page headline: "Mother's teen drinking horror". The report, by Caroline Kavanagh, describes a mother's concern about "a potentially fatal binge that her 15-year-old son had recently".
The report says: "It was the seriousness of the incident that prompted the woman to approach the Garda and the pub in question. She was horrified when the staff in the pub told her they had no problem serving under-age drinkers and don't check the age of customers or ask for ID."
Racism is also a growing problem. The current issue of the Bray People carries the headline: "Racist thugs told to stay out of Bray". The report, by George Jacob and Mark O'Neill Cummins, tells of an attack on a Nigerian national by two men as he walked along Quinsboro Road at 1.30 p.m.
The report quotes Bray Council chairman, Mr Pat Vance, as saying: "We cannot tolerate this kind of behaviour. This kind of conduct is happening too much in our society today, and we must condemn it in the strongest terms. It is not acceptable regardless of race, colour or creed."