Saturday/Sunday
People continued to mourn the late Diana, Princess of Wales. The President, Mrs Robinson, attended a memorial service for the princess in St Patrick's Cathedral, in Dublin. It was one of her last official functions as she headed into her last week as President, before leaving Ireland for Geneva to become UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
It was a very quiet Saturday everywhere as thousands stayed home to watch Diana's funeral on television. In Belfast the Church of Ireland Primate, Dr Robin Eames, led a special thanksgiving service in St Anne's Cathedral.
The work of examiners who marked the English Leaving Certificate papers is to be reviewed following protests at inconsistencies. The Department of Education said that if any examiners are found not to have marked according to the prescribed system they would be removed.
Monday
Political parties began the process of selecting candidates for the presidency following the announcement by Mr John Hume that he will not be standing, so ending months of speculation that he might be an agreed candidate.
Terryglass, Co Tipperary, on the shores of Lough Derg, won the Tidy Towns Competition. Extradition proceedings against Mr John Gilligan, facing 18 charges, including that of the murder of Veronica Guerin, were adjourned in a London Magistrates' Court, pending an appeal. Gardai travelled to London seeking his extradition, but he was remanded in custody until next week.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants is to summon several accountants to appear before its disciplinary committee. They are to carry out a full investigation in the light of the McCracken tribunal report. The institute is to see if any of its members was guilty of professional misconduct.
Institute members mentioned in the McCracken report include Mr Charles Haughey; Dunnes Stores trustee, Mr Noel Fox; and the Dublin accountancy firm, Oliver Freeney. Mr Haughey is still a member of the institute, although it is believed he has not paid his membership fee for some time.
Tuesday
The Labour Party leadership is to look outside the party for its nominee for president. Mr Michael D. Higgins is unlikely to put his name forward.
Sinn Fein committed itself to the Mitchell Principles of democracy and non-violence. After signing the principles, the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, described the talks as a "watershed". He urged unionists to come to the table. "They should be with all of us, working out the future all our people deserve." Mr Sammy Wilson, of the Democratic Unionist Party, however, said that anybody who believed Sinn Fein had renounced violence was either engaging in wishful thinking or blatant self-delusion.
It was announced that the Minister for Defence, Mr Andrews, would represent Ireland at the funeral of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Wednesday
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, is unlikely to face further investigation of a donation to him of £30,000 by a builder in 1989, under the new tribunal of inquiry established by the Dail.
Mr Burke made a statement to the Dail about the donation and answered questions from TDs. Both Fine Gael and the Labour Party were sufficiently satisfied with Mr Burke's explanation to set aside their demands that the donation be placed within the remit of the tribunal at this stage.
The Republic of Ireland beat Lithuania 2-1 and ensured that the chances of qualifying for the World Cup remained alive.
The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, met the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair. He stressed the need for reassurances ahead of the party's executive committee debate on Saturday on whether to participate in talks with Sinn Fein.
Efforts to draft the former EU commissioner, Mr Ray MacSharry, as a presidential candidate for Fianna Fail intensified as a Queen's University Belfast lecturer, Prof Mary McAleese, confirmed she was entering the race for a nomination.
Independent Newspapers announced half-year profits were up 50 per cent to £39 million.
Thursday
The Government ensured that the donation to Mr Burke of £30,000 would not be the subject of further scrutiny by defeating Opposition attempts to change the terms of reference of the new tribunal. Meanwhile, the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, has appointed two officers to examine the books of two companies, Garuda Ltd and Celtic Helicopters, both mentioned in the McCracken report.
The IRA said it would have problems with sections of the Mitchell Principles. Unionists demanded that Sinn Fein be expelled from the all-party talks following the publication of the IRA's view in An Phoblacht/Republican News. A White House spokesman said there would be alarm in the US if anybody had problems with the principles.
Despite a record level of economic growth inflation was reported to have fallen to 1 per cent, the lowest since May 1993.