Saturday/Sunday
Senior members of the Ulster Unionist Party rallied behind their leader, Mr David Trimble, after he came under attack from dissident MP Mr William Thompson. Mr Thompson, the West Tyrone MP, who is against the Belfast Agreement, said there could be no unionist unity until Mr Trimble stepped down.
The Garda said there could be disruptions of the Irish Derby and the Tour de France if progress was not made in salary negotiations with the Government. The force said its members might take action that would disrupt the two events, on June 28th and July 11th respectively.
Dana International, a transsexual, singer, won the Eurovision Song Contest for Israel for her version of Diva, an anthem of praise to powerful women. Jubilant secular Israelis celebrated the victory, but several ultra-Orthodox politicians called the victory it "shameful" and the deputy mayor of Jerusalem vowed that next year's contest would not take place in his city.
Sinn Fein candidates were cleared to take their places in a new Northern Ireland assembly after changes were made in the party's constitution at their ardfheis in Dublin.
The presence of 27 republican prisoners, including the Balcombe Street gang who have served 23 years in prison, provided a major boost for the leadership.
Child-protection services in Dublin are in dire straits, according to a report presented at the annual conference of the Irish Association of Social Workers.
The number of children waiting for a social worker in the Eastern Health Board area is 2,400, more than double the number just two years ago.
The Law Society of Ireland defended the right of solicitors to keep any free shares or financial windfalls due on clients' accounts from the planned flotation of the First National Building Society.
Monday
The wife of a Dublin chip shop owner, Ms Anna Marie Sacco (21), denied murdering her husband at the opening of her trial. Franco Sacco (29) was found shot in the head at the couple's home in Templeogue in March 1997. The prosecution alleges that Mrs Sacco "brought about" the killing of her husband and that a teenage girl pulled the trigger on her behalf.
Abortion, where medically indicated and in line with the X case judgment, should be available in the new hospital in Tallaght, the Adelaide Hospital Society said.
The society, one of three charitable organisations involved in managing the hospital complex, made its submission to the Working Group on Abortion. It proposes legislation for abortion in line with the Supreme Court X case judgment. This ruled that abortion in Ireland was constitutional where the mother's life was in danger.
A couple who agreed last October to buy a house "off the plans" for £129,000 and were told last February that the price had risen to £165,000 failed to force the vendor to sell at the original price.
Mr Justice McCracken, in the High Court, ruled against the couple, saying the £2,000 booking deposit was a receipt, not a signed contract.
The receipt stipulated the deposit was received on behalf of the vendor "as intent only", without obligation on either party until a formal contract was signed.
People in Lucan, west Dublin, called for a three-year moratorium on land rezoning in the area. They accused their local county council of adopting a "developer-led approach" to the city's housing crisis.
Residents are opposed to a development plan that calls for 500 acres to be rezoned for residential and industrial development.
Tuesday
An alleged drug dealer and Veronica Guerin murder suspect, Mr Brian Meehan, may be back in Ireland next month to face 18 charges relating to the journalist's killing and importing drugs and arms. Authorities in the Netherlands, where Mr Meehan is being held, are speeding up the case.
The Catholic Church said the public should be given a more detailed explanation of the Amsterdam Treaty because it had implications that were not clear from the text. The bishops said the Belfast Agreement was well balanced and pointed a way forward from the conflict in the North.
The Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, accused the Rev Ian Paisley of "running away again" after he pulled out of a television debate.
Dr Paisley said he did so because the No campaign was doing well and he wasn't going to give Mr Trimble a platform for his views.
A casting company for the film Angela's Ashes arrived in Limerick to find children to take part in the film. The casting director, Ms Ros Hubbard, wanted to meet children "who look skinny, hungry or sick, with faces full of character, interesting personalities and some acting ability. The company expects to hire 12 children aged five to 18."
Wednesday
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, visited Belfast on to shore up support for the Yes campaign in the May 22nd referendum. It was Mr Blair's second visit to the North in a week.
Thursday
Two women who claim cigarette smoking has destroyed their lives urged the Government to provide financial support for a court action they have started against several Irish tobacco firms.
Speaking the day after the European Parliament endorsed a ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, the women told the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children that they need funds for research that would assist them in their case, which was begun in the High Court last year.