SATURDAY/SUNDAY
The Irish Times reported that the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, is expected to forward a report on the sale of offshore investments by National Irish Bank to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Irish tragicomedy, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, won four Tony awards in New York. Garry Hynes became the first woman to win a Tony award for director of a play.
Ireland's Catherina McKiernan won the women's mini-marathon in Dublin in 33 minutes, 22 seconds.
The Taoiseach ordered that the heads of the Bill to set up a permanent Ethics Commission should be brought before Cabinet within two weeks.
The GAA's patron, Archbishop Dermot Clifford, said the association had missed a "glorious opportunity" to contribute to the peace process when it decided not to remove the rule banning security force members from playing Gaelic games in Northern Ireland.
MONDAY
At least 100 permanent and 500 temporary jobs came under threat at Apple Computers in Cork. The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, arranged to meet senior management in the US to try to minimise the job losses as Apple moves part of its Cork operation to the Far East.
The Government is expected to aim the main benefits of tax cuts in the November Budget at lowto-middle-income earners, in contrast to last November's package, which focused on the better-off.
A £247 million action plan aimed at providing care and services for a growing elderly population was launched by the Eastern Health Board.
EU Fisheries Ministers banned the use of drift nets to catch tuna from January 2002 despite Irish opposition.
New legislation which allows parents to take unpaid leave to care for children has been severely criticised by the ICTU as discriminatory and short-sighted.
TUESDAY
It emerged that Ireland had failed to gain a single place on the top management team of the new European Central Bank, which will oversee the new single European currency. Other small countries, such as Portugal and Finland, succeeded in gaining senior representation.
Video surveillance cameras, put up in Dublin's O'Connell Street to monitor crime, apparently have been used by senior gardai to detect a member of the force who may have breached regulations by marching in support of a pay claim.
Mr Ray Burke approved 44 passports to two families under the investment-based naturalisation scheme when he was Minister for Justice in the period from July 12th, 1989, to February 11th, 1992, it was revealed.
The Government is to consider closing a number of Army barracks to help pay for the massive compensation costs for alleged hearing damage by service and retired military personnel, it was learned.
WEDNESDAY
As 132,000 students began their Leaving and Junior Certificate examinations, a teachers' union expressed concern at the lack of consistency in the grades awarded in certificate exams.
A second "blue flu" protest by gardai was threatened following a decision by the Garda Representative Association to step up its pay campaign.
Opposition parties attacked the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, over the absence of Irish representation at senior management level within the European Central Bank.
The judgment on Mr Albert Reynolds's appeal in the Court of Appeal in London arising from his libel action against the Sunday Times is likely before the end of next month, it was indicated.
Government Departments spent more than £63 million on outside consultants between 1994 and 1996, but it is hard to identify what benefits resulted from the spending, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General said.
THURSDAY
Inflation reached its highest level in three years. The May rate of 2.7 per cent is well above the EU average and is expected to leave the Government with tough choices as it begins to frame the November Budget.
Divers from the Naval Service coaxed a small school of seven common dolphins back to open water after they swam up the River Lee to Cork city-centre.
The Irish Times reported a 70.6 per cent increase in pre-tax profit from £5.5 million in 1996 to £9.3 million last year.
The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, was the recipient of the largest amount of money in political donations last year. He received £27,000.
A Co Galway mother, whose attempts in the early 1970s to have a Franciscan teacher who was sexually abusing her children removed had divided the local community, was described as an "unsung hero" at Galway Circuit Court by Judge Joseph Mathews. He sentenced the man, John Hannon, to 10 years in prison.