A 47-year-old farmer has appeared in court charged with aiming a telescopically fitted rifle at two gardaí, arising out of a stand-off on the Ring of Kerry last January.

The devastating effects of drugs and anti-social behaviour in Roscrea has prompted the community to respond, determined to help addicts while ridding the town of dealers writes Kathryn Hayes.

Gardaí arrested a man today and charged him with having a loaded sawn-off shotgun at a pub in Cork two weeks ago.