SATURDAY/SUNDAY
The RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, speaking on Sunday With Adam Boulton on Sky News, said the threat from dissident republicans was growing. Groups such as the "Real IRA" were regrouping and posed a threat, especially in Border areas, he said.
Cork beat Kilkenny in the All Ireland senior hurling final. Poor weather contributed to a scrappy, but close and exciting, match which saw Cork come from behind in the last quarter to win by one point, 0-13 to 0-12.
The new Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, the Very Rev Robert MacCarthy, was installed at a service on Saturday. He spoke of the collapse of esteem for clergy in Ireland partly due to sexual scandals. He intends building close links with the marginalised in society.
MONDAY
Clonakilty won the overall award in the Tidy Towns competition with a record number of points and also took the title of Ireland's Tidiest Small Town for the third year in a row. Rathbarry, Co Cork, was judged Ireland's tidiest village and Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, the tidiest large town.
The Ulster Unionist Party executive set up a committee to devise an alternative to the Patten proposals for policing in Northern Ireland. The party leader, Mr David Trimble, dismissed threats to his leadership and said his party would continue to be involved in the Mitchell review of the Belfast Agreement.
The Government met unions and employers in an attempt to salvage national wage negotiations and the principles of Partnership 2000. Intensive discussions are planned over the next few weeks. Many unions in the public sector are planning industrial action.
TUESDAY
A Victims' Charter was launched by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue. It entitles crime victims to a review of their case when the DPP decides not to prosecute. The charter pledges to appoint liaison officers from within the Garda, the courts and the Prison Service to deal with the grievances of crime victims.
The Environmental Protection Agency produced a plan to deal with hazardous waste. It indicates a need for a purpose-built incinerator and new landfill facilities as well as stronger measures to prevent the production of such waste.
Johnny Adair became the 293rd prisoner to be freed under the Belfast Agreement's early release scheme. He was one of Northern Ireland's most notorious loyalist paramilitaries.
WEDNESDAY
Results of the Junior Certificate examination for 63,000 second-level students were released. Marks were consistent with previous years except in ordinary and foundation-level Irish, which have shown a drop over the last two years. The Minister for Education, Mr Martin, intends to bring forward proposals to arrest the decline.
The price of Eircom shares fell below the original flotation price in July. This is believed to be due to large-scale selling by foreign investors and a general downturn in the European telecoms sector.
THURSDAY
The Government published its White Paper on Private Health Insurance which proposes changing the structure of the VHI from a statutory board to a commercial semi-State company. The £50 million the Government plans to inject into VHI will have to be assessed by the European Commission's Competition Directorate.
A report prepared for the Government and the public service trade unions calls for promotions in the public service to be performance-based and proposes new models for measuring productivity within the entire sector.
Corofin District Court sentenced a man to four months in jail for removing limestone from the Slieve Carran area of the Burren, a Special Area of Conservation, in the first jail sentence under conservation legislation. Some of the rock consisted of traditional drystone walls for dwellings which may have dated from megalithic times.