500,000 people buy Telecom Eireann shares in July. The sun disappears across most of Europe during a solar eclipse in August. At MTV Europe's Music Awards in November, the stars come out at the Point Depot. Controversy follows the early release of Philip Sheedy. Two judges are criticised for their handling of the case. Hugh O'Flaherty resigns, along with Cyril Kelly. Terry Keane appears on the 'Late Late' in May. She reveals her affair with Charles Haughey. It is another frustrating year for Irish soccer. In a two-match play-off to decide qualification for next year's European Finals, Ireland draw 1-1 at home to Turkey and 0-0 away. Turkey go through on the 'away goal' rule. The West finally confronts Slobodan Milosevic over Serb aggression in the province of Kosovo. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians flee Kosovo... ...as NATO launches airstrikes against Yugoslav targets. Milosevic's forces withdraw in June. Pristina celebrates the end of the war. The North gets devolution, despite worries over decommissioning. A new British-Irish Agreement is signed. The Northern Executive is established. Articles Two and Three of the Constitution are changed. Cork bids farewell to former Taoiseach Jack Lynch. The revelations continue at Ireland's Tribunals of Inquiry. James Gogarty is the star witness at the Flood Tribunal. There are wide-ranging accusations and denials of money being handed over for planning favours. After he is stopped at Dublin Airport with £200,000, serious questions are also asked of official George Redmond. 1999 is also the year of the 'Ansbacher' revelations. A secret list of 120 account-holders' names is contained in Tanaiste Mary Harney's report. Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy gets into trouble. His Budget angers single-income couples, low-paid workers, and the Opposition. East Timor: There is a massive vote for independence from Indonesia. Pro-Indonesian militias terrorise the country. The UN pulls out, a