Saturday/Sunday
MR John Gilligan, who has said gardai suspect him of involvement in the murder of Veronica Guerin, was arrested by British customs officers on Sunday under British drug trafficking legislation. Mr Gilligan was carrying £300,000 in cash and was boarding a flight to the Netherlands with another man at Heathrow Airport when he was arrested.
Pope John Paul II delayed his admission to hospital to preside over the beatification of Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers. Nearly 5,000 Irish pilgrims and 2,000 people from Christian Brothers Associations worldwide travelled to the event in St Peter's Square on Sunday.
The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, welcomed assurances from the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, that he would enact signed peace agreements with the Palestinians. Mr Spring met Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem, where he had travelled on an emergency mission given him by the European heads of government amid perceptions that Israel was blocking progress on peace talks.
The funeral took place of Mrs Brigid McCole, who died one week before she was due to take a High Court case against the Minister for Health and the Blood Transfusion Service Board after she contracted hepatitis C from infected blood products.
Monday
Two bombs exploded in British army headquarters at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, Co Antrim, injuring 31 people. The first bomb exploded 100 yards from the main administration blocks while the second was placed close to the medical unit, apparently in an effort to catch military personnel helping those injured in the first explosion. The attack bore the hallmarks of an IRA operation.
In London Mr John Gilligan was charged under British antidrug trafficking legislation with concealing money in order to avoid a drug trafficking offence.
A Belfast girl was found unharmed after apparently being abducted while on holiday with her family in Orlando, Florida. Four year old Caoimhe McEvoy was missing for over 20 hours, leading to a search by more than 100 people, including mounted police and the FBI. She was later found 15 miles from her hotel, where police assumed she had been driven.
A major Garda operation against drug dealers in Dublin city, named Operation Dochas (Hope) commenced.
Tuesday
The IRA admitted responsibility for Monday's attack on Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn. In its statement, the organisation denied the attack was "designed to provoke loyalist paramilitaries". The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, warned that further violent incidents could be expected if the political vacuum was not filled.
The Progressive Unionist Party spokesman, Mr David Ervine pleaded with loyalist paramilitaries to keep their ceasefire intact in the wake of the attack.
The family of Mrs Brigid McCole, who died from the hepatitis C virus which she contracted from an infected blood product, received an apology in the High Court on behalf of the Blood Transfusion Service Board for the illness and distress she suffered "through its fault".
A video purporting to show Princess Diana and her former lover, Maj James Hewitt, cavorting together was found to be a fake. The editor of the Sun newspaper, which bought the video and printed stills from it, said he and his readers had been victims of an elaborate hoax. Princess Diana said she knew immediately the video was a fraud since the male party's wrist was bare and Maj Hewitt never took his Rolex off for anything.
Wednesday
It was announced that more, than 1,200 new jobs are to be created in three new investments in Cork and Dublin. The US computer company 3COM is planning a major expansion of its Blanchardstown operation, involving up to 800 new jobs. Fund manager Fidelity is to establish a technology centre in Dublin, creating 400 new jobs over five years, and the pharmaceutical company Sandoz is to create 100 new jobs in an expansion programme in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork.
A record price of £1.95 million was paid for a large Victorian house on 2.5 acres in Dalkey, exceeding the previous record at auction for a Dublin house by £400,000.
The Government decided not to proceed with a referendum to grant voting rights in Seanad elections to emigrants. A second referendum to relax the rules on Cabinet confidentiality will also not go ahead. The issues are to be referred to the Constitution Review Group.
Thursday
An independent tribunal for small personal injury claims, such as motoring or workplace accidents, was proposed by a Government report. The tribunal would hear cases where liability was not in dispute and where both sides - agreed to put the case before it.
A Dublin criminal, George Mitchell, was accused of arranging for three hitmen to target a family in London which was troubling one of his associates. The Old Bailey in London heard that one of the men allegedly hired, Mr Michael Boyle, was a Garda informer who had told gardai about his planned trip to London.
The novelist Mr Francis Stuart (94) was honoured by being, elected the status of Saoi of Aosdana. The President, Mrs Robinson, who was due to hand over to Mr Stuart his symbol of office, a gold plated tore, was not present, apparently because of a mix up by the Arts Council.