A whole town grieves as fire kills seven family members

Saturday/Sunday

FIRE engulfed the home of the Maher family in Portarlington, Co Laois, on Sunday morning, killing six of the 13 member family.

Those who died were: Mrs Breda Maher (38), Mark (23), Barry (12), Joanna (9), Fiona (6) and Martina (2). Mr Colm Maher (27), a Laois county footballer, received critical injuries when the stairs collapsed beneath him as he tried to save his brother Barry.

Mrs Maher is believed to have gone back into the house to try to rescue her children. There were 11 members of the family in the end of terrace house at Marian Hill at the time of the fire, which is believed to have broken out in the kitchen.

Mr Anthony Lynch (42) was shot dead by men who called to his home at Willow Park Road, Ballymun, Dublin, on Saturday evening.

The Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring, described as "very unhelpful" comments by the former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds, that Sinn Fein should be allowed into all party talks ahead of an IRA ceasefire.

Monday

The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Mr David Trimble, met the British Prime Minister, Mr Major, at Downing Street and ruled out substantive negotiations involving Sinn Fein until the "methodology" of decommissioning had been agreed and the process begun.

The Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, denied claims by unionists that the British government had shifted its position on the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons.

There were traffic jams on the roads around Dublin as those who had left for the Bank Holiday weekend returned.

Tuesday

The President, Mrs Robinson, began a four day official visit to Britain.

Mr Spring was also in London where he met Sir Patrick Mayhew to discuss arrangements for the all party talks in the North, due to begin next Monday.

The two men worked late into the night, seeking agreement on the role to be played by Mr George Mitchell, the former US senator.

The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, travelled to Germany where he met the Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl, for two hours.

A dispute in Aer Lingus over cabin crew staffing on the Dublin New York route was referred to the Labour Relations Commission. SIPTU withdrew its work to rule and the company "stood down" its protective notices issued to the staff.

The dispute concerns the proposal that Delta Airlines would have one cabin crew member on Aer Lingus flights to and from New York, as part of an overall deal between the two airlines.

Wednesday

The Irish and British governments finalised agreement on the framework for all party talks when they decided to give Mr Mitchell, "a key over arching role" in the entire process.

The breakthrough was made around 10 p.m. in talks between officials in London and was sanctioned by Mr Spring, and Sir Patrick Mayhew, and sealed in a 20 minute telephone conversation between the Taoiseach and Mr Major.

The IRA, in a statement issued to news organisations in Belfast, said the possibility of a ceasefire was remote in the extreme". The paramilitaries called for immediate and substantive negotiations "without preconditions" and said they would not decommission weapons either through the front or the back door".

The President had Scottish salmon, guinea fowl, and raspberry terrine - but no beef - when she had lunch with Mr Major at Downing Street. Also present were the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, the shadow Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, Cardinal Cahal Daly, Cardinal Basil Hume and Mr Jack Charlton.

The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, declined an invitation to the two hour luncheon, describing it as "a love in".

The funeral of the six members of the Maher family who died in the fire in their home on Sunday took place as the town learned that Colm Maher (27), who had been critically injured in the blaze, had died that morning. "The people of this town are heartbroken", the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Dr Laurence Ryan, said during Requiem Mass in St Michael's Church.

Thursday

The ground rules for the all party talks due to begin next Monday in Belfast were announced in London by Mr Spring and Sir Patrick Mayhew.

Mr Bruton and Mr Major will formally open the first plenary session before handing over to the independent chairman of the process, Mr Mitchell, it was announced.

President Clinton telephoned Mr Bruton and Mr Major to offer his congratulations and pledge his continued support for the process. The announcement of Mr Mitchell's appointment provoked a storm of unionist protest.

An Irish Times/MRBI poll found that two out of five voters believe the IRA must resume its ceasefire before Sinn Fein can enter all party talks. A further 38 per cent think the IRA should decommission arms before or during the talks.