With the announcement last Sunday that the 26 County general election will be held on 24 May, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said that the party would go into the election campaign in a stronger position than ever before. Free article

Launching Sinn Féin's new Workers Rights' Policy in Dublin last Sunday, Party Chairperson and Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald said the delivery of a strong, progressive workers rights' framework is a fundamental part of Sinn Féin's vision for Ireland and that the party wanted to work with others, particularly the Irish trade union movement to achieve this. Free article

Martin McGuinness described a visit by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to Stormont on Tuesday as a "massive stamp of approval" for all the goodwill that had been generated in recent weeks. Free article

A tour of the graves of the eight IRA Volunteers killed in the Loughgall ambush of 1987 saw hundreds of people turn out to pay tribute to their sacrifice on Saturday, 29 April. Free article

An Irish Government order stopping work on the M3 Motorway was made on Tuesday after a massive pre-historic site was discovered at Lismullen beside the Hill of Tara in Couty Meath. Free article

A statement from the UVF and Red Hand Commando expected this week will fall short of a commitment to decommission its weapons but media reports are speculating that the leadership of the unionist paramilitary group plans to convey the message that its weapons have been put away, never to be used again. Free article