The crime rate in Kerry went up 16 per cent in the first six months of the year, prompting the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue to ask, "Why is crime rising in my own backyard?" A lot of other people, not just in the pages of the Kerryman, but in local newspapers all around the State, were asking the same question.
One answer, Chief Supt Garvey told the Kerryman, is that a "considerable amount" of the increase is petty, juvenile crime.
In Waterford, they agreed. "Young thugs to blame for crime hike", stated the Waterford News and Star. "Waterford gardai have blamed a small number of out-of-control young offenders for the massive hike in crime this year.
"The gardai singled out a shortage of juvenile detention facilities as a major contributory factor to the 19 per cent divisional increase - the second highest in the country."
Insp Jerry Lynch told the newspaper that "we have a few individuals committing a whole range of crimes in Waterford. Early in the year, we had five or six youngsters running wild. Not having places of detention to put them is a big problem."
Crime levels have soared by 22 per cent in Kilkenny, and again the rise is attributable mainly to a surge in minor offences, stated the Kilkenny People.
"Just a handful of people are causing the crime," Supt Kevin Donohoe said.
"Pensioners living in fear of young drunks", warned the Wee kender. Residents of a 16-house community for pensioners say they often cannot sleep due to the noise from the nightly "binges" which regularly continue into the early hours of the morning.
"Dingle is not the Wild West", declared Garda Sgt Mossie O'Donnell following the arrest of 33 people for public order offences over the bank holiday weekend.
He told the Kerryman that "the behaviour of Irish tourists in Dingle over the bank holiday weekend was the worst he has experienced in his 20 years of service in the town." Those arrested were main ly from Cork city, Tralee and Limerick.
"There has been an undesirable element coming into the town over recent months and we are concerned about the trend . . . These people seem to have absolutely no respect for their hosts. They seem to think that they are entitled to get `sloshed' and roar and urinate in the streets.
"I don't know where they have come from but they are the Irish equivalent of the traditional English lager lout and they cannot be tolerated in our town."
There were 22 arrests in Courtown, Co Wexford, over the August bank holiday and, as in Dingle, these were mainly on public order and assault charges, stated the Gorey Guardian.
Courtown however had the added aggravation of a notorious organised crime gang from Finglas on Dublin's north side, who were staying in the area over the weekend. The gang subjected Courtown Harbour to a car crime spree, according to gardai. Cars were stolen, set ablaze or broken into, but only one of the 22 arrests related to these incidents. "Rage is in the air," wrote the Kilkenny People's Sean Keane. "The 87-year-old bachelor was dragged from his bed in bright daylight and given the fright of his life. The man, who is partially blind, was beaten around the head and bullied as he lay helpless on the floor of his home. Two thugs threatened the former blacksmith with, among other things, a golf club, before forcing him to hand over a cash sum."
The Connacht Tribune said gardai were appalled by the genital mutilation of a dog, found dying on the side of the road. There were nine slash wounds to the dog's anus. Gardai fear the brutal attack may be repeated and warned pet owners to be vigilant.
"Children screamed in terror as a gunman shot dead two swans on the River Boyne near Navan," stated the Weekender. A man opened fire on the birds as children splashed in the water 200 yards away.
"It was unbelievable," said a local guesthouse owner who witnessed the incident. "He fired six shots. Children were crying and everyone was screaming at him to stop. The whole thing lasted about 20-30 minutes. When it was all over there were two dead swans and an injured one.
"I had guests staying who were absolutely horrified - they just couldn't believe it."