Saturday/Sunday
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, met Mr David Trimble at Government Buildings in Dublin and told him that, should the IRA fail to deliver on decommissioning, the executive would be suspended and a review would take place. Mr Ahern rejected a UUP demand to expel Sinn Fein if arms were not given up.
Unofficial industrial action was taken by some Cork train-drivers who are members of the breakaway union, the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association. The action led to interruptions in services between Dublin and Cork and Kerry.
A human development report revealed that Ireland has the highest levels of poverty in the industrialised world outside the US. Ireland now ranks 20th of the 174 states surveyed in the Human Development Index (HDI).
Monday
The Twelfth's parades went off peacefully on a truly glorious day, weatherwise. The largest Orange parade with around 20,000 marchers proceeded through south Belfast to the Ormeau Park, keeping to a compromise route. Other parades passed off without major incident.
Telecom Eireann shares gave up some of Friday's gains to close nearly 2 per cent lower at £3.67 (€4.66) in a generally lacklustre session on the Irish stock market. However, the share price remained nearly 20 per cent above its flotation price of £3.07 (€3.90).
The President, Mrs McAleese, attended a reception to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the Republic's first president, Dr Douglas Hyde. She said his message was that barriers between differing traditions should not be broken down by threat or stealth.
Tuesday
The Garda announced that a 51-year-old former soldier was to be charged with the murder of Phyllis Murphy, the Kildare woman, whose body was found at the Wicklow Gap in 1980.
Mr David Trimble, UUP leader, failed to win any concessions from the British government on its failsafe legislation in the House of Commons.
The Supreme Court reserved judgment on a challenge by The Irish Times to a decision that an article about a Dublin criminal, Eamon Kelly, published after his conviction on drugs charges but before his sentence, was a contempt of court.
Wednesday
The peace process was plunged into crisis when the UUP challenged the authority and prestige of the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair. Mr David Trimble indicated after a meeting of the UUP executive that he would not participate in the d'Hondt procedure to appoint ministers to the North's proposed power-sharing executive.
At the Moriarty tribunal, a former director of the Irish Permanent building society, Mr Enda Hogan, said he believed a £20,000 cheque made payable to Mr Charles Haughey intended to help fund a liver transplant operation for the late tanaiste, Mr Brian Lenihan, ended up in the bank account of Celtic Helicopters.
Later, Mr Haughey issued a statement through his solicitor saying that it was he who initiated and spearheaded the humanitarian project of raising the fund. The funds raised were properly applied, he said.
A crowd of more than 100 people outside Naas courthouse jeered and shouted abuse at Mr John Crerar, the former soldier charged with the murder of Phyllis Murphy almost 20 years ago. He was remanded in custody.
Thursday
The attempt to form an executive in Northern Ireland collapsed when the First Minister, Mr David Trimble, and the UUP members failed to attend the Assembly. An executive of SDLP and Sinn Fein was formed for a few moments, but was then disbanded because it did not have cross-community participation. Mr Seamus Mallon MP resigned from the position of Deputy First Minister.
It was announced that the former Northern talks chairman, Senator George Mitchell, has been invited to take part in a summit meeting on the peace process between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister.
Mr Pat Cox, the Munster Independent MEP, will become Ireland's first president of the European Parliament halfway through the new parliament's five-year term, it emerged.
The Government agreed a system for determining new higher pay levels for the chief executives of commercial State companies, whereby pay rates will be fixed to comparable private-sector levels.
Mr John Ryan, the husband of a woman who was killed during a collision with a vehicle driven by Philip Sheedy, has taken a claim for damages against him, the High Court was told. Sheedy's controversial release from prison earlier this year led to the resignation of two judges.