SATURDAY/SUNDAY
FINE GAEL published its manifesto which concentrates its £1.5 billion tax reform package on middle and low income earners.
The DUP demanded that "apartheid" conditions apply so it would not have direct contact with Sinn Fein at a proposed conference on the peace process to be held in South Africa at the end of the month.
A resolution calling for the reduction and elimination of Technetium-99 discharges from Sellafield was agreed at an international marine conference in London.
MONDAY
Novelist and playwright Mervyn Wall, and Dr Colm O hEocha, a former president of University College Galway and chairman of the New Ireland Forum, died.
Dublin Corporation agreed to take charge of suspected medieval remains at St Thomas's Abbey off Meath Street in the Liberties at an estimated cost of £250,000.
The Irish Council of People with Disabilities opened a campaign for a referendum to be held on banning discrimination against people with disabilities..
The Orange Order's Grand Master, Mr Robert Saulters, issued a statement in which he appeared to rule out talks with the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition, saying he would not meet anybody connected with "Sinn Fein/IRA".
The Irish Times disclosed that Aer Rianta has won its biggest ever overseas contract, allowing the company to sell spirits and tobacco at 12 duty free shops in Hong Kong's new airport, due to open next April.
TUESDAY
The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, ruled out both a referendum on abortion and legislation to deal with the implications of the Supreme Court's decision in the X case, if his Government is reelected. Ireland jumped to 16th place from 26th in a ranking of the 53 most competitive countries in the world.
At the publication of the Labour Party's election manifesto, the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, said a decision to focus a £1.5 billion tax package on lower and middle income earners would be non negotiable in the formation of a new government.
The British Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, agreed to the transfer of two IRA prisoners to the North to be nearer their families.
Five beaches in Cos Wicklow, Donegal, Dublin and Louth failed to meet minimum EU standards in the annual survey of bathing water quality.
WEDNESDAY
In its election manifesto, Democratic Left pledged itself to tax cuts of £1.5 billion over five years, a package largely in line with the Fine Gael and Labour manifestos.
In a bout of severe selling pressure, the pound dropped to below 92p against sterling after overseas speculators began targeting the currency for the second time in three weeks.
British government officials and Sinn Fein are to hold a second meeting after a three hour discussion at Stormont Castle.
A set of Harry Clarke glass panels illustrating J.M. Synge's poem Queens was sold for £331,500 at Christie's, setting a record price for a work by the Irish stained glass artist.
It emerged that French police intercepted 34 Romanians with stolen passports as they attempted to board ferries for Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland beat Liechtenstein 5-0 to go second in their World Cup qualifying group.
THURSDAY
Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats hold a lead of 12 percentage points over the three Government parties, according to the first Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll conducted since the general election was called. Excluding the undecideds, FF had 43 per cent, FG 26 per cent, Lab 10 per cent, PDs 7 per cent, DL 2 per cent, Green Party 3 per cent, and Others 9 per cent.
The Rainbow Coalition has halved the gap with the FF/PDs alliance on the choice to form the next coalition government - 44 per cent said they would prefer a FF/PDs government, compared to 38 per cent for the FG/Lab/DL coalition.
Winning Lotto jackpot tickets have been sold seven times in Skibbereen, it was revealed as everyone tried to guess who had bought the latest winning ticket, worth £6.2 million, in the west Cork town.
The Jefferson Smurfit Corporation, the US associate company of the Jefferson Smurfit Group, is carrying out a strategic review of its operations which could lead to the sale of its newsprint business and its forests.
Dr Noel Browne, a former controversial minister for health, credited with ridding the State of tuberculosis, died at the age of 82.
AIB shares rose 5p to a record 503p after it became the first bank to get an Aa3 financial strength rating from the credit rating agency Moody's Investors Services.