Apprentice Boys accept rerouteing for Ormeau Road march

Saturday/Sunday

The Northern Ireland Agreement overcame its first major obstacle when the Ulster Unionist executive voted 55-23 in its favour at a special meeting on Saturday.

However, opponents were predicting that the party leader, Mr David Trimble, would have lost the support of more than half his MPs by the end of this week. Five of the 10 had already declared themselves against the agreement, and attention was focusing on the Rev Martin Smyth, who was due to return from Australia.

Meanwhile, many grassroots Sinn Fein supporters rallied behind their party leadership during Easter Rising commemorations. The IRA also praised the party's negotiating team and said it would judge the agreement "against its potential to deliver a just and durable peace in our country".

Neither Mr Gerry Adams nor Mr Martin McGuinness went as far as endorsing the document in weekend speeches, but, in what was seen as a significant comment, the former IRA gun-runner, Cllr Martin Ferris, described the agreement as "the best result possible".

Gardai in Dublin began a murder inquiry after the death of a woman in a house in the north of the city on Sunday. Mrs Joan McCarthy (47) was discovered in her daughter's home In Coolock, where she had been baby-sitting. She appeared to have died of asphyxiation.

Monday

The first event of the North's marching season passed off peacefully, with the Apprentice Boys accepting the Parades Commission decision banning them from a nationalist section of Belfast's Ormeau Road.

One of Ireland's leading Olympic equestrian figures was killed when his horse fell on him. Mr David Foster (43) was competing in trials at Rathmolyon, Co Meath, when the accident occurred.

Tuesday

Loyalist and unionist leaders reacted angrily to the release of nine Provisional prisoners from Portlaoise Prison. The Ulster Democratic Party leader, Mr Gary McMichael, said it was a sign of Irish Government weakness. "It's an inducement to shore up Sinn Fein's position in advance of their annual conference, and that's a signal in itself of the poor state republicans are in."

The released prisoners pledged "total support" to the Sinn Fein leadership.

As the teachers' unions met for the annual conferences, it emerged that the Department of Education had instructed schools to take steps against a recent increase in assaults on teachers.

The severe weather continued, especially in the north-east, where heavy snow made driving difficult. Both of Belfast's airports were closed for a time.

Wednesday

The pressure on the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, increased when the Grand Orange Lodge decided it could not support the Northern Ireland Agreement.

But the lodge did not reject the document outright: after a 5 1/2 hour meeting, members voted against accepting it in its present form and demanded clarification of certain issues from the British Prime Minister. The leader of the militant Spirit of Drumcree group, Mr Joel Patton, said he was "absolutely disgusted".

The Grand Lodge met as the Democratic Unionist Party announced a series of protest demonstrations across the North, and as the Rev Martin Smyth indicated he was unlikely to support the agreement.

Thursday

An Irish Times/Guardian poll suggested the Northern agreement would be carried by comfortable majorities in the May 22nd referendums. Almost three in four voters in the North supported the document, while in the Republic the figure was 61 per cent. Only 14 per cent of Northern voters were against.

However, opposition in the UUP appeared to be growing, as two groups within the party issued statements supporting a No vote. The Ulster Young Unionist Council and the UUP branch at Queen's University both rejected the agreement, saying it gave Dublin an increased say in Northern Ireland's affairs.

The Ombudsman, Mr Kevin Murphy, called on State agencies to develop an integrated policy to deal with serious bullying or sexual abuse of children by their peers. The move followed a complaint to the Southern Health Board that it had failed to take appropriate action after being notified of an alleged sex assault.