Saturday/Sunday:
A crisis meeting on the future of 700 jobs at Fruit of the Loom in Donegal and Derry broke up after the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, and the head of the clothing firm, Mr Bill Farley, failed to agree on a way forward.
The discussions at the Berkeley Court Hotel in Dublin, which were also attended by IDA chief executive Mr Kieran McGowan and a senior negotiator at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, were described as "full and frank". The loss of hundreds of jobs is being predicted.
Offaly went crazy after its hurlers won a memorable All-Ireland final with Kilkenny at Croke Park by 2-16 to 1-13, its fourth title in 17 years. Under the experimental structure of the hurling championship, Offaly had been beaten by Kilkenny in a Leinster final 10 weeks ago, but were allowed to reenter the competition at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.
Despite being the most vigorous opponents of this system, Offaly became the first "back-door" champions.
Monday:
Three adults and two children aged nine and 12 were killed in a collision between a school minibus and a lorry on the N11 in Co Wicklow. The mini-bus was carrying youngsters from Arklow to a special school for the mentally-handicapped when the crash happened at Kilbride, four miles south of Rathnew.
The 27-year-old driver of the Northern-registered lorry was later arrested and charged with dangerous driving.
The North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, said that the issue of decommissioning remained an obstacle to the establishment of the Assembly. Mr Trimble also told the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party that taking part in the executive in a selective fashion would not be tolerated.
"There can be neither trust nor equity if one party to the agreement is not prepared to destroy their weapons of war," he said.
Tuesday:
The Flood tribunal would cover the costs of only one senior counsel, one junior counsel and one solicitor for those represented, except in exceptional circumstances, Mr Justice Flood announced. He granted legal representation to the former Fianna Fail minister for foreign affairs, Mr Ray Burke, and the Attorney General on behalf of the public interest, arising from the expansion of the tribunal's terms of reference in June.
He refused nine other applications, but said these decisions were not final and could be reviewed.
An expert committee to examine whether the anti-impotence drug Viagra should be made available to medical card-holders was announced by the Minister for Health, Mr Cowen. If the drug is covered by the State's various drugs schemes, the cost to the Exchequer could be as much as £20 million a year.
Thousands of angry farmers staged a sit-down protest in St Stephen's Green in Dublin over an income crisis in the industry. The demonstrators called for the resignation of the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh.
Wednesday:
The Central Bank warned that the December Budget should not include major tax cuts, as this would risk overheating the Irish economy.
Any reductions in income tax should be matched by tax increases in other areas, it said.
Dr Michael Casey, assistant director-general of the bank, warned that "a generalised drift could lead to a bigger boom and a bigger headache seven years down the line."
The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, called on TV3 to find a place in its schedule for Irish-language programmes, and to expand its coverage from 85 per cent of the population.
Officially opening the station, which comes on air on Sunday at 5.30 p.m., Ms de Valera said RTE had served the country well, but the lack of an indigenous television alternative had been "sorely felt."
Thursday:
A Roscommon county councillor who assaulted the former minister for justice, Mr Sean Doherty TD, was ordered to pay him £500 compensation by a District Court judge. Fianna Fail councillor Mr Tom Crosby of Termonbarry had trespassed in a house, shouted abuse at the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Senator Brian Mullooly, and hit Mr Doherty on the head.
Judge William Earley also imposed two weeks' imprisonment on Mr Crosby, but suspended the sentence for three years.
MMI Stockbrokers, a Dublin firm specialising in investments for private clients, was ordered by the Central Bank to cease trading and was given until next Wednesday to sort out its financial affairs. It is believed that the financial deficit at MMI runs into millions of pounds.