Mayo women giving birth are being denied epidural anaesthesia at Mayo General Hospital's maternity unit unless they give birth during office hours.
"The bizarre and unsatisfactory situation" has prompted complaints from family doctors, one of whom contacted the Connaught Telegraph. The GP's patient, who had two previous births with epidurals, was promised an epidural on her third, but was forced to give birth to the baby without anaesthetic - and without explanation.
Afterwards, she found a letter of apology on her locker from her obstetrician, explaining that she did not get her epidural because the Western Health Board has failed to provide locum cover for those anaesthetists who take leave.
A concerned GP told the newspaper: "I do not believe that a Government minister's wife or mistress would be treated in such a fashion, so why should the mothers of the west of Ireland have to be treated this way?"
Kerry women are finally to get a full, round-the-clock epidural service after years of campaigning, reported the Kerryman. Just 59 of the 1,137 births at Tralee General Hospital during 1998 were delivered under epidural.
Pregnant mothers in Drogheda have been warned not to drink the tap water by a local GP, Dr Mary Grehan, after chemical compounds linked to miscarriages were found. "We have higher rates than normal of miscarriages; we have twice the national average for birth abnormalities, and Louth has horrendous cancer rates," Dr Grehan said.
Furious District Court Judge Mary O'Halloran demanded that the director of child care at the Southern Health Board appear before her in two weeks' time to explain why no form of care is available for an out-of-control 15year-old boy.
"No place for boy except jail," said the Kerryman. "The judge observed that this absence of facilities for the care of young offenders is at a time when the Irish economy is booming," it added.
A Monaghan councillor has tried to boost his election prospects by asking that accident fatalities be kept within the county. The Anglo-Celt stated: "Councillor Hughie McElvaney (Monaghan) told a meeting of the North Eastern Health Board that his re-election could lie with the executive members of the health board.
"He asked to be given a guarantee that when a fatal accident occurred in Monaghan, the remains would not be removed to a hospital outside the county as it was a very traumatic time for family members."
The "dearth of candidates" in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, has deprived sitting councillors of their chance to contest the election. For the first time in local politics in Westmeath, there will be no contest in Kilbeggan, and the four sitting candidates will automatically retain their seats on Westmeath County Council.
A despondent Cllr Joe Flanagan, Fine Gael, described the situation as "a real anticlimax" as he surveyed a mound of now redundant campaign literature. "I suppose it will mean less shoe leather and fewer dog bites," he remarked.
Cllr Mark Nugent, Labour, is "bitterly disappointed" at being robbed of his chance to contest the election. He had been out canvassing for the past three weeks and had spent £700 on literature which is "down the drain now".
Kilkenny is bracing itself for a classic David and Goliath encounter between McDonald's Restaurants and an angry, militant community, said the Kilkenny People. McDonald's was initially denied planning permission for a new restaurant on the outskirts of the city by Kilkenny Corporation but the decision was overturned by An Bord Pleanala.
Now residents have "declared war on An Bord Pleanala" and are raising funds to finance a judicial review of the planning process.
A judicial review of another decision by the board, this one in Co Clare, is being sought by a prominent Clare businessman, Mr Kevin Toomey, said the Clare Champion. Mr Toomey's proposal to develop a £1.3 million cinema and restaurant complex in Ennis was turned down. Mr Toomey now believes there should be a review of what he sees as "anomalies in relation to planning in general" in the town.
A "miracle letter" has been discovered by FAS participants working on a wall beside an old graveyard at Clonmore, said the Nationalist and Leinster Times, Carlow. The letter, dated 1736, has remained preserved between the rocks of the granite wall for 250 years.
It reads as follows: "If this letter is found, we will be long gone. Today is a nice hot June day. Please remember us in your prayers, God bless." The letter was signed by William Byrne, Frank Doyle, Laurence Murphy and Richard Ryan.