Saturday/Sunday
While Fianna Fail and Fine Gael remained locked in battle over the weekend "leaking" of further confidential documents from the Department of Foreign Affairs about her views on the political situation in Northern Ireland, presidential candidate Prof Mary McAleese refused to answer further media questions on the matter.
Despite questioning by journalists at a supporters' rally in Galway, she insisted she had dealt with the issue "absolutely comprehensively" and had no intention of dealing with it any further.
Ms Brid Rodgers, of the SDLP, was reported in an official memorandum as saying that Prof McAleese, along with Father Alex Reid and Mr Jim Fitzpatrick, editor-in-chief of the Irish News, were "promoting a new nationalist consensus which owes more to Sinn Fein than the SDLP".
Ms Rodgers, a former member of the Seanad, said the leaking of the confidential memorandum was "disgraceful, dishonourable and reckless".
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, repeated his claim that Fine Gael was involved in what he called a "dirty tricks" campaign. A Fine Gael spokesman said this comment was "outrageous".
Gardai in Mayo appealed for help in piecing together the last hours of Ms Gillian Thornton (20) who was murdered in Ballina after attending a disco.
The number of people killed in the recent spate of road accidents rose to 28, following seven deaths over the weekend.
Monday
The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, gave his support to Prof McAleese when he described as "absolutely false" the allegations surrounding her role in the peace process. Ms Rodgers said she wished to refute the "unworthy implications from some quarters" being ascribed to Prof McAleese's role in the peace process.
The leader of the Alliance Party, Lord Alderdice, called on Prof McAleese to sacrifice her candidacy for the peace process.
The strength of the controversy forced Prof McAleese to abandon her "no comment" line and hold a press conference. She suggested Lord Alderdice might be confused by reports of separate leaked documents which did not relate to her, but could, it had been said, threaten the peace process.
Tuesday
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Eamonn Barnes, announced that he would not initiate prosecutions after considering the Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Blood Transfusion Service Board (BTSB).
Positive Action, which represents hundreds of women infected with hepatitis C by the BTSB, insisted that the criminal law allowed for a prosecution.
Mr Justice John Blayney opened his inquiry into possible professional misconduct by members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants named in the McCracken report.
Wednesday
Prof McAleese, in a major speech in Dublin, set out to counter suggestions that her election as president could have a divisive effect on the peace process.
A Cork man, Fergus Whitty (31), was jailed for life at the Central Criminal Court after he was found guilty of murdering his sixmonth-old baby daughter.
It emerged that the leaders of the five main political parties in the Republic were to issue a joint appeal urging a Yes vote in this week's referendum on cabinet confidentiality.
In a final statement issued before his execution in a prison in Missouri, Alan J Bannister accused the state of committing premeditated murder. Bannister had spoken on RTE radio five hours before he was put to death by lethal injection.
Extradition proceedings against Mr John Gilligan were adjourned at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in London after his apparent refusal to recognise the court's authority. Mr Gilligan is being sought in Ireland to answer a charge relating to the murder of the journalist Veronica Guerin.
Lord Molyneaux entered the controversy over the leaked Department of Foreign Affairs papers, claiming that some contained sensitive UK security information.
Thursday
A crisis in the Hong Kong financial markets knocked billions of pounds off the value of share prices around the world, and there were fears that if the turmoil continued it would lead to further losses on stock markets.
Presidential candidates Ms Mary Banotti and Ms Adi Roche ruled out a voting pact in the presidential election.
The Tour de France stages to be run in Ireland next summer will be worth £20 to £30 million to the economy, the Minister for Sport and Tourism, Dr McDaid, said at the official announcement of the I998 Tour route in Paris.
Mr Walter Bowens (36) was charged in Britain with unlawfully detaining a 14-year-old girl. The girl, who cannot now be named for legal reasons, was reported missing from her Blanchardstown home last month. It later emerged she had gone of Chester with Mr Bowens, a father of two from Co Meath. The pair had met in a Dublin bar where the girl was working as a waitress and Mr Bowens was working as a bar man.