Saturday/Sunday
THE three Government parties edgily awaited an explanation from the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Mr Lowry, as to how Dunnes Stores came to pay £207,820 for an extension to his Tipperary home.
Mr Lowry said: "I'm very confident that when the details are presented everyone will be satisfied". But by Saturday evening he had tendered his resignation. The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, said he would be replaced by Mr Alan Dukes, the man he ousted as Fine Gael party leader.
Tipperary North Riding County Council said it had no record of Mr Lowry applying for planning permission for the extension to his Holycross home. But the council could not be sure if the extent of the building required planning permission.
Mr Lowry returned to his constituency to a defiantly warm welcome from party supporters.
The Duchess of York arrived in Dublin to promote her book, My Story. She also visited the National Children's Hospital ("because I have two beautiful, healthy children") and the hospice in Harolds Cross.
Almost lost in the news was the result of the bail referendum. Voter turnout was a mere 29.2 per cent, but the outcome was decisive: 74.8 per cent in favour, 25.2 per cent against.
Catholics attending Mass in a suburb of Ballymena, Co Antrim, were attacked by a loyalist mob.
Monday
The Revenue Commissioners sought a copy of the Price Waterhouse report which contained the revelation that Dunnes Stores had paid for the extension to Mr Lowry's home. Rumours spread quickly that Mr Lowry was not the only beneficiary of Dunnes Stores largesse. A former very senior Fianna Fail figure was mentioned.
Sources close to Mr Lowry put the word out that what the former minister received from Dunnes was a loan to his company, Streamline Enterprises, the terms of which were still under discussion. The same sources said the tax liability on the loan had not been settled with the Revenue Commissioners.
The Hepatitis C Tribunal held its first session.
Tuesday
The Irish Times revealed that a prominent Fianna Fail figure was believed to have received over £1 million from Dunnes Stores in the early 1990s paid into different bank accounts in London on a number of dates.
This information is alleged to be in the Price Waterhouse report commissioned by Mrs Margaret Heffernan after she replaced her brother, Mr Ben Dunne, as chairman of Dunnes Stores.
The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said he was confident none of his frontbench colleagues was implicated.
The Medical Council decided that its inquiry into complaints of professional misconduct against Dr Moira Woods would be held in public. A number of parents are claiming they were wrongly accused of child sex abuse in the late 1980s. Dr Woods has denied all charges of misconduct.
Esat Digifone threatened to pull out of a proposed deal with the Garda to allow its mobile telephone network use Garda station masts. This followed an incident at Rathfarnham Garda station where an official of the Department of Justice intervened to stop work on a mast.
It was revealed that the two winners of the weekend Lotto had based their numbers on key dates in the life of Padre Pio.
Wednesday
The Taoiseach called on Dunnes Stores to release the Price Waterhouse report. Mr Bruton said he recognised "the pall of suspicion hanging over all parties".
In the Dail debate on the matter, the Ceann Comhairle, Mr Sean Treacy, warned deputies there was an onus on them not to refer to anyone outside the House so as to prejudice any investigations. Dunnes Stores said it would be happy to co operate with the Revenue Commissioners "subject to any legal constraint".
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal awarded £452,000 to a Dublin man who was the victim of a crime in 1984, for which two Tallaght men were jailed but whose convictions were later quashed. Mr Eamon Gavin had waged a 12 year legal and protest campaign.
It emerged that almost one in four people will be unable to tune in to Teilifis na Gaeilge unless they install an aerial costing about £40. This fell well short of the estimates of 93 to 95 per cent national reception given by the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins. It also emerged that in parts of Cork TnaG is on the same frequency as a German TV station that transmits "adult" entertainment.
Thursday
The Taoiseach said Mr Dunne was one of the individuals he personally approached for donations to the Fine Gael party. The Progressive Democrats tabled a motion for next week to set up a tribunal of inquiry into the payments to politicians controversy.
The health authorities wrote to 105 patients treated by a doctor who has since been diagnosed as HIV positive. The patients attended hospitals in Limerick and Letterkenny. The health authorities have assured them there is very little danger of contracting the virus.
Mr Hugh Coveney failed to be selected to contest the next general election in his Cork constituency.
The National Lottery finally admitted defeat and said the Millennium Clock, known to Dubliners as "the chime in the slime", will not be returned to the Liffey.