Veronica Guerin was murdered at Newlands Cross, outside Dublin, at around 1.00pm on 26 June 1996. Almost immediately John Gilligan was identified as the major suspect for her murder. Veronica Guerin had sought to interview Gillian at his home in Co Kildare some months previously and she claimed to have been viciously assaulted by Gilligan. The latter has always denied assaulting her but there is persuasive evidence he did so and evidence that a day later he threatened her and her son in the course of a phone conversation.

Patrick Holland was convicted on drugs charges on the evidence of a "supergrass" and on alleged "admissions" he made in Garda custody. The Special Criminal Court disregarded the curious arrest and detention of his solicitor at the same time as his arrest.

In a speech at Collins Barracks on Sunday 9 April, when opening a 1916 exhibition, Bertie Ahern professed commitment to ideals which his government has disdained for almost a decade. He went on to present a potted history of Ireland of the past 90 years, which even in the most politically sectarian days of Fianna Fáil, was rarely previously equaled in bias and distortion.

A communuity garden project in Dolphin's Barn in Dublin is being forced to close up just a year after it was established. Inspired by similar projects in New York, Cork and Belfast, the garden was established in Dolphin's Barn in April 2005 on a small patch of disused land beside the Grand Canal. The land was untended and had been out of use since it was earmarked for a motorway proposal in the 1960s, but is now to be redeveloped.

Willie O'Dea has no official role at the 1916 commemoration on Easter Sunday but he will be on the podium in O'Connell St for the army march-past at noon and thousands will strain to see Willie take the salute. By Vincent Browne.

The murder of Denis Donaldson is a further macabre twist to the sabotage of a constitutional settlement. By Vincent Browne

The arguments in favour of privatisation have no merit and the arguments against have not been addressed

The scale of inequality in incomes is vast. Some people earning millions per year, others earning as low as €15,000. The huge divergences are unexplained by differentials in the value of work. These huge disparities result not just in differentials in living standards but also in the healthcare one can afford, the standard of education one can afford for one's children, the degree of influence and clout one can bring to bear on the political system and on society generally. Inequalities in income and wealth cause huge inequalities across all areas of society.

Gay Byrne certainly brings profile to the new Road Safety Authority, at least to those over 35. He also brings an impatience with bureaucracy and procrastination. And he is an exemplary driver himself, probably never having had even a scrape throughout his lengthy driving career.

The 31 new "penalty point offences" to be introduced on Monday, 3 April, provide for two penalty points for driving a vehicle on a motorway against the flow of traffic.