Saturday/Sunday
Seven people died in traffic accidents over the bank holiday weekend. The fine weather had large crowds travelling to hurling, horse racing and boating events. Seamus Heaney opened the Yeats Summer School in Sligo, while the final day of the European Open Golf Championship got under way in Straffan, Co Kildare.
Security forces continued investigations into last week's murder of Charles Bennett in Belfast and the attempt to import high-powered weapons by post from Florida. Sinn Fein insisted the IRA ceasefire remained intact.
A report on social welfare expenditure showed a sharp fall in welfare spending as a percentage of national income. The figures also suggested the State was in the grip of a baby boom and many people were finding it hard to cope, particularly with the cost of accommodation.
Monday
Department of Finance figures revealed that Ireland would still be a substantial net beneficiary of funds by the end of the next EU budget period in 2007.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, accused the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, of pandering to unionism while attacking republicanism. He claimed Mr Bruton failed to see "the big picture".
Only three hours after his arrival in Dublin, a 71-year-old English tourist jumped into the River Liffey to save a drowning woman.
Tuesday
Recommendations to halt the rise in the prison population were published by the Probation and Welfare Service. Among the measures proposed were powers for judges to sentence offenders to receive counselling, to make reparations to victims, or to get treatment.
Security sources confirmed the Provisional IRA was responsible for the death of Charles Bennett. Republican sources claimed he was killed to pacify hardliners over decommissioning and the lack of political progress.
Guidelines for mandatory reporting by teachers, youth leaders and professionals of suspected child abuse - approved last month - will be published later this month.
Wednesday
Some 200 Garda stations are to be equipped with recording facilities under a Department of Justice scheme to videotape interviews with persons suspected of serious crimes.
Official Exchequer returns show a £5.82 billion surplus at the end of July, far exceeding any previous figures. This included £3.6 billion from the Telecom flotation.
The Flood tribunal broke for holidays amid continuing controversy with the Criminal Assets Bureau concerning the files of the former assistant Dublin city and county manager, George Redmond. The tribunal will resume in the second half of September and a return to the High Court or even the Supreme Court looks inevitable.
Thursday
A Report of the Victims' Commission into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings has recommended the appointment of a former Supreme Court judge to inquire privately into events surrounding the bombings, which killed 33 people and injured over 400. Although the findings will eventually be made public, the victims and relatives of the bombings want the immediate establishment of a public tribunal of inquiry.
A Monsanto trial site for genetically-modified sugar beet in Co Wexford was sabotaged for the second year in a row. Genetic Concern disassociated itself from the incident, although it said it understood why people carried out such actions.