Saturday/Sunday
GOVERNMENT sources confirmed work has begun on a common manifesto for the coalition parties, but said the parties had not seriously addressed the question of an agreed Government candidate for the Presidency. Meanwhile the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, reiterated his support for an election to choose the next president.
More than 1,000 guests attended the Sunday night launch of Radio Ireland, which began broadcasting at midnight from its headquarters in Dublin's Jervis Centre.
The Orange Order denied claims that agreement had been reached between local Orangemen and residents of Dromore, Co Tyrone, for an Orange march through the largely nationalist village. Protestant and Catholic clergymen as well as nationalist councillors and residents said an agreement had been negotiated.
Monday
Government and Opposition parties united in welcoming the British government's decision to reject plans for a £1.8 billion nuclear waste dump at Sellafield.
The Taoiseach's St Patrick's Day visit to Washington revealed differences between the Irish and British governments on the setting, of a date for Sinn Fein's entry into all party talks.
Irish politicians from North and South were feted in Washington, with receptions at the White House and the British and Irish embassies. At home, an estimated 400,000 people turned out to watch Dublin's St Patrick's Day parade.
Tuesday
It emerged that a woman suffering from hepatitis C was seeking an early High Court hearing on her claim for damages from the State, the Blood Transfusion Service Board and the National Drugs Advisory Board. The Carlow woman had been given priority on the court list because of her medical condition. The move was expected to increase pressure on the Government as it considered payment of aggravated damages.
The Garda Commissioner and the Garda Representative Association disagreed over the significance of a court ruling that gardai must identify informers to senior officers. The Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, said the ruling only confirmed the existing position, while the GRA claimed it would make intelligence gathering more difficult.
Wednesday
It was revealed that the British supermarket company Tesco was negotiating to buy the Quinnsworth chain of supermarkets, for a price of more than £600 million.
The Government decided to grant additional special damages to the 1,600 victims of the hepatitis C scandal. Recognising "the extraordinary anguish and distress experienced by the victims and their families", it announced its intention to "reappraise and amend" the compensation scheme.
The Minister for Justice said the Garda authorities were responsible for a situation in which rank and file gardai did not known they could use a device called the stinger to stop car thieves.
Thursday
The High Court discharged the jury in the Proinsias De Rossa libel action against Independent Newspapers, after almost nine hours of deliberations failed to produce a majority verdict.
The jury decided unanimously that the disputed Eamon Dunphy article had not meant that the plaintiff supported the repressive policies of the old Soviet Union, but could not agree on whether it meant he was involved in or tolerated criminal activity.
Independent Newspapers welcomed the outcome but Mr Rossa said he would be pursuing the matter "to a conclusion".
A teenage girl was being questioned after the fatal shooting of a man in Dublin's Templeogue Gardai said Mr Franco Sacco (29) appeared to have been killed by a shotgun wound to the head.
