Saturday/Sunday
THREE directors of the State's largest public relations company, Murray Consultants, made a tax settlement of £1 million through an offshore company registered in Panama, it emerged at the weekend.
The men, Mr Joe Murray, Mr Jim Milton and Mr Terence Horgan, made a settlement reported as the biggest known in recent years which related to offshore payments from clients of the directors during the 12 years to 1990.
Murray Consultants' clients include some of the biggest companies in the country, as well as the Government and a number of, State agencies.
Hopes of early talks between the Tanaiste and the Ulster Unionists diminished when the deputy leader of the party, Mr John Taylor, called Mr Spring "the most detested man in Northern Ireland".
Mr Taylor said Mr Spring was the mouthpiece of Sinn Fein and that his involvement in the affairs of Northern Ireland was "nil".
Four seamen were lost at sea and feared drowned. Three of the fishermen were from Waterford and a fourth was lost from a currach off Connemara.
Mondy
More trouble with the Northern talks process as the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, ruled out early talks with the Tanaiste, Mr Spring.
Mick McCarthy was named manager of the Republic's soccer team. During his playing career he was dubbed Captain Fantastic by fans. He had won 57 Irish caps as a player and now has a two year contract as team manager with a salary of £120,000.
The Barnsley born son of a father from Tallow, Co Waterford, was hardly given an overwhelming welcome, when the FAI president, Mr Louis Kilcoyne, went on radio only hours alter he had announced McCarthy's appointment, and admitted he had not been his first choice.
Artificial sun tanning came under scrutiny when it emerged that a sunbed treatment was responsible for the death of a Dublin man from Churchtown.
Mr Sean Kelly died of a heart attack brought on by extensive burns which gardai believe were caused by a sunbed treatment at a health club.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, promised long suffering rural road users that the problem of pot holes would be dealt with. Local authorities which did not play their part in implementing the Government's programme would have their grants cut.
Tuesday
Mr Daniel Fanning (74), a farmer and cattle dealer, was killed at his home at Stephentown, Rosegreen, Co Tipperary, when a number of men broke in and shot him in the leg. It is believed he died from the subsequent bleeding. Mr Fanning was with his wife, Biddy, and one of his daughters at the time.
As relations between the Government and the unionists deteriorated further, the Taoiseach urged the British government to make it clear to the unionists that they should enter talks with all nationalist parties in Northern Ireland.
Mr Bruton said those who believed that an elective process could play a positive role should demonstrate that an election would be useful in facilitating negotiations rather than representing a hurdle.
The Comptroller and Auditor General reported that 329 electric shower units for St James's Hospital, Dublin, went missing between 1985 and 1994, at a cost of £41,857.
The annual report showed that while 336 showers had been, ordered, only seven had been fitted and no units were in stock at the end of last year. Another loss, of £250,000, was reported for Bord Iascaigh Mhara for an "unstable fishing vessel".
Wednesday
The first divorce applications could be before the courts by the end of this year, according to the Minister for Law Reform, Mr Taylor. He was speaking following the dismissal by the High Court of Mr Des Hanafin's challenge to the divorce referendum.
The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, embarked on a cross channel media offensive to win British support for a two day Dayton type conference in Belfast before the end of the month. The Minister of State for Health, Mr Austin Currie, told the Dail that more than 4,000 cases of alleged child abuse were reported annually to the health boards
Thursday
The Dail was adjourned for 15 minutes after uproar broke out in a dispute involving the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, who had stated that five posts of adviser in his office were not advertised.
Mr Joe Walsh, of Fianna, Fail accused the Minister of misleading the House, because he had claimed the posts had been advertised in a Democratic Left journal.
During the most acrimonious debate for some time, Mr Walsh called the Minister "a liar" in a controversy over what does or does not constitute an advertisement.
Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats announced they will attempt to censure Mr De Rossa.
The new national radio licence will be awarded to Radio Ireland following the successful negotiations for a contract between the consortium and the Independent Radio and Television Commission. It is expected that the new station will be on fair by November.
Two of the directors, Mr John McColgan and Ms Moya Doherty, are producers of the show Riverdance. Ms Doherty conceived the idea of the Riverdance interval act for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest.