Invasion of family privacy blamed for resignation

Saturday/Sunday

THREE off-duty British soldiers escaped serious injury in a booby trap car bomb attack in Ballynahinch, Co Down, on Sunday. The soldiers were checking the vehicle for devices when the bomb went off, ripping the car apart. The attack was believed to mark a significant extension of IRA tactics in its spreading campaign of violence.

The first woman to become a canon in a Church of Ireland cathedral, the Rev Ginnie Kennerley, was installed on Sunday in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

It emerged that for the first time the Blood Transfusion Service Board was forced to import blood stocks from Holland because of a shortage of donations.

Monday

Fianna Fail's health spokeswoman Mrs Maire GeogheganQuinn, announced her intention to resign from the party's front bench and to retire from politics at the next general election. She cited invasion of family privacy as the primary reason for her decision, following the prominence given in several newspapers to the expulsion of her 17 year old son from boarding school after a "fracas".

Tuesday

The former Minister for Health Mr Howlin, admitted he did not intervene when he discovered that the expert group he had set up to investigate the hepatitis C scandal was having trouble getting information from the BTSB in 1994.

Brother Larry Timmons (47), a Franciscan missionary, was buried in Clara, Co Offaly, a week after he was shot dead by Kenyan police. His killing was linked by the Catholic Church in Lare to his fight against bribery. A 35 year old policeman was subsequently charged with his murder.

Gardai launched an investigation into the death of a 42 year old woman who was found dead at her home in Mulhuddart, Co Dublin, on Sunday night by her husband.

The IRA was believed to be responsible for a grenade attack on a British army Land Rover in the Springfield Road area of Belfast. No one was injured in the attack. Wednesday

The Olympic gold medallist Michelle Smith was selected as one of the top 10 world athletes of 1996 by China's biggest sports magazine, which polled its one million readers.

The National Roads Authority announced that it is to spend £250 million on Ireland's main roads this year.

Thursday

The Independent Review of parades and marches in Northern Ireland recommended that a parades commission replace the RUC as the statutory body empowered to make decisions about disputed parades. The Northern Secretary said the main proposal of the report was "radical and far reaching" and he opted for a period of "precisely focused and time limited" consultation. However, this would preclude necessary legislation before a general election, and prompted nationalist accusations that Sir Patrick Mayhew was bowing to unionist pressure.

Publicans were warned by the Minister of State, Mr Pat Rabbitte, that beer prices will be fixed at last year's levels if they do not immediately reverse the latest five pence increase in the cost of a pint. The Competition Authority also confirmed that it will carry out an investigation of the drinks market.

The Government has given strong signals that it is preparing for a June election because of a number of decisions about the parliamentary schedule.

The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, reshuffled his front bench after the resignation of Mrs Geoghegan Quinn and promoted Dr Jim McDaid to the front bench as spokesman for equality and law reform.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions voted to accept the new national pay agreement Partnership 2000.