Saturday/Sunday
Events in the North dominated the weekend, with the aftermath of Ms Rosemary Nelson's murder overshadowing the political crisis.
At the Ulster Unionist Party conference its leader, Mr David Trimble, assured delegates that there would be IRA decommissioning. His supporters dominated the election to the vice-presidents' positions, but three of the four honorary secretaries elected were supporters of the dissident Union First group.
Mr Gerry Adams was also guardedly optimistic, saying Sinn Fein would try to find "some accommodation".
A 13-year-old boy ended up in hospital after a paramilitary-style attack by a gang of masked men, thought to be loyalists, in Newtownards, Co Down. The boy had been told to leave the area by the gang.
Meanwhile, an anti-agreement loyalist, Mr Frankie Curry of the Red Hand Commando, was buried in a funeral supported by hundreds of people which passed down the Shankill Road.
Bishop Brendan Comiskey issued a statement denying he took no action over the paedophile priest, Father Sean Fortune.
He said that because of pending High Court proceedings there might be legal limits to the amount of information he could put into the public arena.
Monday
Telecom Eireann, which faces public flotation this year, lost its newly-appointed chairman, Mr Brian Thompson, who is to go to Global Telesystems in the US.
In a decision likely to have implications for the future, Cork County Council voted by 31 votes to four to rescind planning permission for ESB pylons in Cork Harbour.
Kathleen Bell, who had been charged with murdering her partner, was convicted of manslaughter, to which she had pleaded guilty. The jury heard of her long history of abuse, including by the victim, before rejecting the charge of murder.
The Flood tribunal resumed with the cross-examination of Mr James Gogarty by Mr Colm Allen SC, for Mr Michael Bailey. Mr Liam Lawlor, a Fianna Fail TD, said he was the TD "linked" to the former Dublin assistant city and county manager, Mr George Redmond. But he denied he had met him with his friend, the developer and arcade owner, Mr Jim Kennedy, in whose arcade Mr Redmond was alleged to have invested £100,000.
Tuesday
In the North the husband of the murdered solicitor, Ms Rosemary Nelson, called for an inquiry into her death independent of the RUC.
This followed a report by the Independent Commission on Police Complaints, which had been investigating allegations of death threats against her from members of the RUC. That report said the inquiry ran into various difficulties, including from the chief inspector who "appeared to have difficulties in co-operating productively" with the barrister in charge of the inquiry.
Meanwhile, the search for a political settlement was further strained as the British Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, challenged the release of three IRA prisoners arrested and convicted in England. His attempt failed, but was widely denounced.
Telecom Eireann's deputy chairman, Mr Ron Bolger, resigned, saying he could not stomach being "passed over" for a second time.
At the Flood tribunal Mr Gogarty continued his attacks on the legal profession, as Mr Allen accused him of a "deliberate, vicious and nasty lie".
The Taoiseach travelled to the Berlin EU summit to discuss funding and the political crisis in the European Commission.
The supermarket industry remained in the headlines, following accusations against Tesco of overcharging. The Director of Consumer Affairs confirmed she had received such complaints six months ago.
Wednesday
As NATO attacked Serbia in response to its failure to sign the Kosovo peace agreement, the Government declined to state its position on the legality of the attacks. The Minister for Foreign Affairs described the failure to reach a political solution as "tragic" and "regrettable".
It emerged at the summit that Mr Ahern and the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, were likely to travel to Belfast for talks on the political crisis, following two meetings at the summit.
Gardai expressed fears of more feuding after a Traveller was shot dead at a Dublin halting site.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said he would be proposing new later opening hours for public houses, up to 1 a.m.
THURSDAY
There was mixed reaction to the deal hammered out in the early hours of Friday morning at the EU summit in Berlin, where a package of funding reforms was agreed. As expected, Ireland's share of structural and cohesion funding was substantially reduced.
In Northern Ireland the judge hearing the case against a man charged with murdering Mr Robert Hamill in Portadown described some RUC actions on that night as "unfortunate". The Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, rejected calls to withdraw the RUC from the investigation into the murder of the Hamills' solicitor, Ms Nelson.
The Minister for Education, Mr Martin, was among a number of Catholic politicians who took Communion at the consecration of the new Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork.