Saturday/Sunday
Dublin celebrated with Belfast over the weekend as the Ulster rugby team won a decisive victory over the French team, Colomiers, in the European Cup. The 30,000 Ulster supporters and their red and white flags were warmly welcomed in Dublin when they arrived for the match, and were joined by rugby fans from all over the country for an emotional triumph in Lansdowne Road.
A reminder that the political problems in the North have not gone away came with the abduction and beating of a former IRA prisoner, Mr Paddy Fox, a critic of the Sinn Fein leadership's involvement in the Belfast Agreement. He was abducted early on Sunday morning from outside a hotel in Monaghan and released, with bruising and head injuries, later that day.
From Japan the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, announced the creation of 440 new jobs in Tallaght, with the news that Shinko Electronics was planning a £70 million expansion over four years.
An airliner was diverted from a flight to Jamaica to Norfolk, Virginia, when a group of London-Irish holiday-makers were involved in a fracas on board. They were put off the plane in Norfolk.
Monday
There was bad news on the jobs front both North and South as it was confirmed that 450 workers in Apple computers in Cork would lose their jobs, and Mackies engineering plant in west Belfast was taken into receivership, threatening 300 jobs.
A Christian Brother, John Kelly, was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to more than 100 charges of sexual assault on 11 boys over 12 years in Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Wicklow, Kildare and Tipperary.
A Co Tipperary farmer, Frank Mockler, was fined £21,000 for using illegal drugs on his farm. Judge James O'Connor said he would have gone to jail if there had been anyone else to run the farm.
The State got leave to appeal against an award of £219,000 damages to a soldier for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Tuesday
The Moriarty tribunal heard that Mr Haughey had approached Mr Ben Dunne for money shortly after becoming Taoiseach in 1987, earlier than the McCracken tribunal had been told. Mr Dunne also said he forgot about a £282,500 donation to Mr Haughey.
The Flood tribunal heard Mr Gogarty claim that he had been intimidated by threatening phone calls from Mr Joseph Bailey jnr. On the international financial markets AIB shares surged by 5.5 per cent following rumours of an imminent takeover, possibly by Lloyds/TSB.
The outcome of the weekend rugby match had further reverberations when the captain of the Ulster team, David Humphreys, was brought on to the Irish team to play France in Saturday's opening Five Nations international.
The Presbyterian Church elected a new Moderator, Dr John Lockington, a long-standing member of the Orange Order, who says he will not participate in joint worship with Catholics.
Wednesday
There was a dramatic turn in the trial of four men for the murder of Garda Jerry McCabe, when the charges were changed from capital murder to manslaughter, to which they pleaded guilty. There was widespread dismay from politicians, gardai and members of the public. The Taoiseach said they would not be released early under the Belfast Agreement.
The long-awaited report of the Partnership 2000 Working Group on Childcare was published, urging tax breaks for parents with young children using childcare and an expansion of commercial childcare. There was criticism of the Government for allegedly ignoring the crisis in childcare.
The Moriarty tribunal heard that Mr Ben Dunne did not have enough cash to clear Mr Charles Haughey's debts, which amounted to £700,000. Dunnes companies wrote off over £500,000 given to the former Taoiseach.
The Flood tribunal had again to deal with a newspaper leak, to the Irish Independent's Sam Smyth, who wrote that evidence would be heard that Mr Michael Bailey had withdrawn cash to make a payment to Mr Gogarty. Mr Bailey said he was aware the article was going to appear, but did not speak to the journalist.
Two Cork schoolgirls struck by a van as they were coming home from school on Monday died.
The London-Irish passengers stranded in Norfolk, Virginia, left for home.
The AIB shares fell back as the rumours of an imminent takeover dispersed.
Thursday
It emerged that during negotiations on the Belfast Agreement the Government came under pressure from Sinn Fein to include those charged with the McCabe murder on the list of those eligible for early release.
The new legislation intended to replace the Aliens Act, which was ruled unconstitutional last month, will ensure that non-nationals threatened with deportation can make a case why they should not be deported. They can cite length of stay in the State, their domestic situation and connections in the State.
Staff in the Irish Life insurance company "churned" policies to the advantage of salespeople, a report from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said.
