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May /
Samhradh Festival 08 / June
SAMHRADH ARTS FESTIVAL 2008
It is with enormous delight that we can announce that the SAMHRADH ARTS FESTIVAL
will again be happening this year. From the initial acorn that we tentatively
planted last year we have developed into rapidly maturing multi-disciplinary
ARTS FESTIVAL. For this year’s event we have combined the very successful
aspects of last year’s Festival with a broader range of events and performances.
We are immensely honoured to have been able to attract some of the best artists
performing in their specific fields to this year’s Festival.
This year’s Festival will include, Lunchtime performances, readings, recitals
and a series of late night concerts and unique arts events to be savoured as
well. There will be a dedicated programme of Children’s Events to choose
from too. This year’s Festival has also, a specially curated Sculptor Show
in the Basement Gallery.
The Festival, as last year, will culminate in the BIG DAY OUT in St. Helena’s
Park. There will be Circus performers, Puppet Shows, Children’s workshops,
Inflatable Playground, Storytellers and The Specialist Food and Craft Market.
The success of the Festival is your participation and your enjoyment of the Events.
Success breeds success and therefore hopefully we can expand to being an even
bigger and better Festival into the future.
Our special Festival Brochure will be released on Friday 2nd May. If would like
to receive a copy please email samhradhartsfestival@gmail.com or
contact at 042 939 2919 and we post a copy to you.
SAMHRADH ARTS FESTIVAL – it’s your festival.
Festival Director,
Barry McKinney.
Tuesday
27th May
Storytelling with
Julie Duane
Julie
Duane is a storyteller and singer engaged in
the timeless art and tradition of creating story,
story gathering, story weaving, story sharing
and storytelling with young and old alike .A
native of Kildare, Julie, has travelled the highways
and bye ways of Ireland in the course of her
work. She has travelled as far as Japan.
She is
creatively involved in story making, story
sharing, story weaving and storytelling. She
tells stories and sings songs of Animals Insects
and Birds, Mythical, Mystical and extinct creatures,
Hero’s and Heroines, Saint Brighid,
Witches and Wizards, Fairies Banshee and Sirens
of the Sea.
She is a storyteller, actor, radio
and T.V. broadcaster, lecturer and facilitator
in Drama in Education. She founded Little Acorn
Workshop Company in the mid nineties to design,
tailor and facilitate workshops in storytelling,
communication and Drama in Education for, Primary
Schools, Active Age groups, Special Needs schools
and groups, Libraries, Third level lectures
and workshops This is her third year joyfully
working as storyteller in residence with Kildare
Library and Arts Service.
Performance 10.30am & 11.30am
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Tuesday
27th May
Dundalk International Music Series
Arts Office Dundalk Town Council presents:
Musica Vitae (Sweden)
Conductor – Staffan Larson
Soloist – Guy Johnston, Cello.
Programme
| Ingvar Lidholm |
Music for Strings |
| Joseph Haydn |
Concerto for cello C major |
| Interval |
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| Frank Bridge |
Two Pieces (Waltz-Intermezzo and Scherzo-Phantastick) |
| Edvard Grieg |
Holberg Suite |
‘With feet buried deep in the soil
of the Swedish country side and bows pointing
to the wide world, the 15 members of Musica Vitae
have in as many years developed into a chamber
orchestra of international repute and standard’. (‘Spelmannen’ prize
jury)
Musica Vitae or literally ‘living music’ is
renowned for its vivid and vital performances
under the artistic direction of Torleif Thedéen.
Whilst firmly rooted in the classical string
tradition it also has a strong commitment to
contemporary art music and has regularly broken
the mould through its collaboration with dancers,
artists and lighting designers.
The orchestra has worked with many internationally
acclaimed conductors and soloists and have recorded
more than 20 CDs, including Baroque, Classical
and Romantic repertoire as well as contemporary
experimental music. Two of their titles have
been Swedish Grammy Award nominees.
Guy Johnston
Cellist Guy Johnston ‘has already forged
a place as one of the UK’s most promising
and distinctive cellists’ (The Strad 2004).
In 2001, he became the youngest artist ever to
open the Proms season and in 2002, won the BRIT
Award to Best British Newcomer. He has been steadily
building an international reputation, regularly
performing with many of the world’s top
orchestras and dazzling critics and audiences
with his glorious tone and electrifying performances.
Tickets: €20.00 & €15.00 conc.
Performance 8.00pm
Venue: Main Auditorium
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Wednesday
28th May
Niall de Burca is one of Ireland’s finest
traditional storytellers. He was raised in
Galway and displayed a talent for narrative
from a young age. At home he has featured in
theatre, radio and at many festivals including
Féile Earraai, the CS Lewis Festival,
and The National Children's Book Festival.
Recognised for the diversity of his stories
and with an ability to reach all ages;
Niall is a familiar figure to many Irish children
through his innovative school programmes. His “Storytelling
As A Tool Of Education” workshops are
highly recommended by educators.
Performance 10.30 & 11.30am |
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Wednesday
28th May
Cellist Gerald Peregrine presents a concert of
cello classics, accompanied by pianist Brian Connor.
The recital will feature well loved cello pieces
and pieces from Gerald’s recently released
album, ‘Heavenly’’. ‘Heavenly’ features
classic jazz and popular standards, skilfully arranged
for cello and ensemble by Joe Csibi. The album
is mellow in tone, inspired by the more intimate
recordings of artists such as Jack Jones, Barbera
Streissand and Harry Connick Junior.
Please come 15 minutes before the show time to
order refreshments and food.
Tickets: €12.00 incl. lunch
Performance 1.10pm
Venue: Meabh’s Bar
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Wednesday
28th May
Meridian Theatre Co. present;
THE LOST FIELD!!!!!
Raccoon
by Tom Hall
Featuring: Julie Sharkey
Raccoon is a single, lyrical monologue a poignant
and lyrical tale of small town Irish life. Centring
on Saoirse, a waitress in a small café,
it explores the great contemporary Irish themes
of children laid aside but held in the heart as
a lifelong yearning, of parents named and unnamed,
lost and found. Saoirse doesn’t know who
she is or where she comes from but by a bizarre
chance encounter in her café she is offered
the opportunity to reconstruct her past and her
future.
Performance 8.00pm
The Exit Wound
by Johnny Hanrahan
Featuring: Michael Loughnan and Rosie O’Regan
The Exit Wound we encounter characters who have
been marked for life by their tragic experiences
of that day; characters for whom collective and
personal tragedy are still interwoven and alive
after four decades.
Hugh is an itinerant singer/storyteller, a relic
of Greenwich Village, the Folk Revival and the
sixties generally, who left Ireland on the day
of Kennedy’s assassination and has returned
finally, the prodigal father, after more than forty
years. During all that time he has ruled his family
in absentia, a king across the water dispensing
instructions, money, advice and a series of broken
promises to his wife and children. The action of
The Exit Wound is a confrontation between Hugh
and his granddaughter Julia who is the only one
strong enough to resist the myth and see the man.
The Lost Field is made up of two individual performances.
Racoon and The Exit Wound and are a unique opportunity
to experience Theatre at its most intimate. Racoon
will be presented on the Ground Floor after which
dinner will be served on the First Floor and The
Exit Wound will be presented over dessert.
Seating for this unique evening is strictly limited
so early booking is strongly advised.
Tickets: €60.00 including champagne, aperitifs,
wine
and dinner
Performance 8.00pm
Venue: No.32 Restaurant
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Wednesday
28th May
Gerald Peregrine – Cello
The
final part of our unique experience will be
the ‘Heavenly’ music performed by Gerald
Peregrine
and Brian Connor.
Tickets: €12.00
Performance 10.30pm after the Lost Field
Venue: No.32 Restaurant
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Wednesday
28th May
Children’s Voices
of Ireland
and Clermont Singers
This recital will see the combined
talents of one of Dundalk’s finest choirs,
Clermont and newest
Choirs, CVOI.
The Children’s Voices of Ireland (CVOI) mission
is to bring children and young people together
from diverse socio-economic, religious and ethnic
backgrounds to celebrate diversity, inspire development
and foster goodwill within and between our local
communities. CVOI teaches young singers to learn
and perform a dynamic, distinctive and challenging
repertoire, supporting Ireland’s rich social
and ethnic diversity. Clermont has performed at
the highest level for many years and has achieved
National recognition on several occasions.
Tickets: €12.00
Performance 8.00pm
Venue: St. Nicolas Church
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Thursday
29th May
STORYTELLING with Liz
Weir
Liz Weir has been telling stories
professionally for thirty years. She is one
of the founders of the modern storytelling
movement in Ireland. She
works with all age groups to promote the traditional
art for which Ireland is world famous. A children’s
librarian by training, she now travels the world
telling stories to adults and children, organizing
workshops on storytelling, and speaking at courses
for parents, teachers and librarians. Liz is the
author of two collections of children's stories "Boom
Chicka Boom " and "Here, There
and Everywhere" ( The O'Brien Press).
Performance 10.30am and 11.30am
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Thursday
29th May
Mad Cap Theatre Co.
present;
Living With Johnny Depp
You can’t afford to miss
the chance to see this off the wall comedy!
Sixteen year old Shania Sweeney is passionately
in love with her idol, Johnny Depp. Stuck
in a West of Ireland Secondary School
Convent, tormented by her teacher and
savagely ripped apart by the Principal
on a daily basis. The time has come to
stand up for what she believes in despite
the odds and she won’t go down
without a fight. Guaranteed to have you
in stitches!!!!!!
“Mitchell does all
three characters with magnificent gusto,
taking each to the peak of
their obsession
and achieving moments of real poignancy
and mania…”
Daily
Mail
Please come 15 minutes before the show time to order refreshments and food.
Tickets: €12.00 incl. lunch
Performance 1.10pm
Venue: Meabh’s Bar
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Thursday
29th May
Me & Gildea
Kevin Gildea - founder of The
Comedy Cellar, a godfather of Irish Comedy,
'highly original,
explosively funny' (The
Times), 'quirky,
innovative and pioneering' (The
Guardian) Anne
Gildea - founder of The Nualas & Funny
Girls, ‘wackily original’ (The
New York Times),
‘hilarious’ (The Independent).
Me & Gildea
- laugh-stacked show of Sibling Revelry.
He has appeared on every major stand-up
TV show in Britain, written for Alexi Sayle,
is a PJ O’Connor Award Recipient,
was Fr. Cave in Fr. Ted. She has toured
world-wide, was ‘Ocras Burke’ on
RTE’s X-it File,
starred with Podge & Rodge in their
Vicar St. show, is a
columnist.
“Talented, confident and phenomenally
quick-witted comics” (chortle.co.uk)
This is grown-up comedy of the highest
order and contains material of an adult
nature.
Tickets: €16.00 and €12.00 conc.
Performance 8.00pm
Venue: Main Auditorium
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Thursday
29th May
CAPT.BUTTY’S (Patrick
McCabe) COCKTAIL LOUNGE ‘ART HAPPENING’
SHOWCASING THE WORK OF
MARGOT QUINN
Once upon a time there were people
who went to art exhibitions. Before making
their way up some stairs to a room with
a big pile carpet and softlit pictures
hung on the walls, where a muted hubbub
of chatter was just beginning and accompanied
by cheap Bulgarian plonk this was the standard ‘Opening’ fare,
that was until Captain Butty’s Art
Lounge took the stage. ‘The Captain’ believes
that art exhibitions should be stylish
and wickedly good fun!!!!!!!!!
The Capt. Butty ‘Art Lounge Happening’,
starring Patrick McCabe, Margot Quinn,
Jack L, Jinx Lennon and world famous Monaghan
Psychotics. Art used to be dead serious
but now that it’s fun it’s
more serious than ever. So whatever you’re
doing on the 29th May, make sure you get
your tuxedo out for ‘Art Lounge’-the
greatest ‘Happening’ in Dundalk
since Captain Butty drank Mc Ardle’s
Brewery dry.
Tickets: €15.00
Performance 10.00pm
Venue: Meabh’s Bar
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Friday
30th May
Wonderland Productions
Ltd. Present:
Life Shop Till you Drop by
Alice Coughlan
Life Shop till you Drop! is the
Sassy Girl’s Self Help Solution.
Ailish McGovern is an unfulfilled Recruitment
Consultant. For Ailish life would be perfect
if she had a marriage proposal, a glamorous
job and most importantly won Irish Tatler
Woman of the Year. And so she selects 2008
as ‘the year of change,’ the
year in which she will apply all the mantras
of self-help gurus to her own life.
Join
Ailish, as she goes speed dating, feng
shui's her 100% mortgaged apartment
and targets the perfect boyfriend, using the New York manual ‘Your soul
mate is out there and missing you.’ Next on her hit list is taking over
her boss' job using ‘The work secrets only successful people know!’
However it seems that no self-help book that she has studied, teaches that pride
comes before a fall. A cautionary tale, or more likely, a wickedly fun spoof
on our love of going life shopping.
"Clodagh Reid plays Ailish with comic versatility generating continuous
laughter" Gerry Colgan, Irish Times.
"This one-woman farce is a fast paced parody of the self help industry,
showing its star's comic range in male and female characters "
Sunday
Times
Please come 15 minutes before the show time to order refreshments and food.
Tickets: €12.00 incl. lunch
Performance 1.10pm
Venue: The Space
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Friday
30th May
INTERFERENCE
Described once by RTÉ Radio
One's Dave Fanning as "the only band
in Ireland I can't pigeonhole" INTERFERENCE
are creating a new wave of respect following
the broadcast of the ‘Other Voices
Special’ on RTE 2 earlier this year.
First emerging in the mid-nineties, Fergus O'Farrell's rock/folk/trad hybrid
were rejuvenated by their 2002 appearance in Dingle where they appeared at the
request of producer Phillip King and the show's then presenter, Glen Hansard.
The performance was not only captured by RTÉ's cameras, but was also later
released as a live album, marking only the band's second release. Sporadic in
their output, O'Farrell's eponymous debut as Interference arrived in 1995, heralding
a hypnotic string-heavy sound that was to both inspire and influence a host of
his contemporaries - notably Mic Christopher and Glen Hansard.
Best sampled live, the charismatic O'Farrell has made only rare appearances in
the studio. His last significant recording came in the shape of last year's Bickley
O'Farrell mini-album 'All Your Life/ Sweet Love', which was a collaboration with
David Bickley and released to much praise.
Similar collaborative efforts have peppered O'Farrell's career. He has previously
worked with Maurice Seezer, Gavin Friday, Steve Wall, Glen Hansard, Maria Doyle
Kennedy and Nina Hynes, to name but a few.
Last year saw him also take INTERFERENCE on to the big screen as O'Farrell performed
their song 'Gold' in John Carney's hugely successful
'film Once'.
Tickets: €20.00
Performance 8.00pm
Venue: Main Auditorium
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Friday
30th May
HAVE I GOT ABUSE………FOR
YOU……...mmmMAYBE
Fergus Mullen has once again gathered,
collected and assembled his usual motley
crew of fools, amadáns, reprobates
and local satirists for another famous(ish)
evening of abuse, insult and completely
irreverent satire.
Tickets: €10.00
Performance 10.30pm
Venue: Meabh’s Bar
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Saturday
31st May
CATHY DAVEY
It’s been a whirlwind
year for Dublin born Cathy Davey. In
October she released her spectacularly
brilliant album “Tales of Silversleeve”.
Her infectious hit singles ‘Reuben’, ‘Sing
For Your Supper’ and ‘Moving’ display
her raw and edgy style, infused with
unusual rhythm and lyrics, placing her
at the top of her game. Finishing off
2007 with a platinum selling album she
then went on to win the 2008 Meteor Award
for Best Irish Female and a Choice Music
Prize nomination for album of the year.
She is most frequently compared to the
likes of Björk and PJ Harvey, although
her favorites are Tom Waits and Aimee
Mann.
“Tales of Silversleeve” may
well be the most spectacularly beautiful
Irish album you’ll hear this year.
It has songs galore, but it also has
these glorious sounds and flights of
imagination where Davey aims for the
sky and actually gets there. She’s
trying things out, having a go at new
ideas and sounding as if she’s
having a whale of a time.
“Every time I hear the album, I
find something new on it to think about” -
Jim Carroll,
The Irish Times.
Tickets: €25.00
Performance 8.00pm
Venue: Main Auditorium
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THE
BIG DAY OUT
Sunday 1st June
The Belfast Community Circus
Don't miss the Barren Carousel Family
Sideshow! Take a ride into the decrepit world of
two bumbling crusaders. This nearly extinct circus
duo have peddled from afar to present their bandwagon
of music, circus and mayhem. Be dazzled by Ruby
Barren's boneless back, and the flying violin of
Tulip Barren. Marvel as these fearless aerialists,
death-defying acrobats, bearded ladies and freaks
of nature transport you into their ragbag world
of wonders.
Performance 12.00pm - 6.00pm
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Sunday
1st June
Storytelling with Eddie
Lenihan
in the ‘BIG DAY OUT’ tipi
Eddie Lenihan is one of Ireland’s
storytelling treasures. After many years of
folklore-gathering, particularly in his native
Co. Kerry, but also in many other parts of
Ireland, Eddie has collected a vast collection
of tales and stories. It is his love of mixing
with and listening to older generations (which
he still keeps to this very day) that underpins
everything he does.
In gratitude to the excellent storytellers
who have shared their proud and ancient Irish
tradition with him down the years - and who
were so insistent that it should not die -
Eddie has done his best, through personal appearances,
as well as books, tapes, CDs and video, to
spread the wonderful message of Irish lore
- no difficult task, since its own very depth
and scope make it a world unparalleled.
“Ireland's greatest living storyteller"
Clare
Champion
"An inspired performer" The Irish
Post (London)
"A master storyteller" Belfast Newsletter
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Sunday
1st June
Your Man Puppets – Billy
Goats Gruff
BILLY GOATS GRUFF is a unique blend
of story telling, rod puppets and cabaret.
Beginning with a demonstration of basic puppetry,
the audience is led into the story of a walrus
named Daryl and his search for a friend on
the lonely beach he calls home. Then comes
the main story of Billy Goats Gruff , the tale
of a little goat who dreams of far away hills
and goes on a big adventure, which gets him
and his family into trouble with a (not too
scary) troll.
The show closes with a most unusual sing-along that everyone is guaranteed to
enjoy!!!!!
Age: 4 years and up
Duration: 45 minutes
Performed by Tommy Baker
Tales from the Workshop
A unique blend of storytelling and puppetry that tells the tale of what really
happens in the workshop. Watch as the puppets come alive, talk of their
lives and beg tales from their friend the storyteller. In this funny,
active and participatory show for children of all ages, Tommy and Claire unfold
the secrets of their crafts.
Age: All ages
Duration: 45 minutes
Performed by Tommy Baker and Claire Murphy
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Sunday
1st June
Newry – Dundalk Speciality Food
and Craft Market
The Speciality Food and Craft Market
aims to work in partnership with the local
rural food industry and retail sector to create
a sustainable future for a quality food market
and to provide a food and crafts venue that
meets modern day consumer expectations. So
why not make a healthy and tasty Picnic a core
part of your BIG DAY OUT.
Stalls will include;
- Seasonal fruit and organic vegetables
- Cheeses, chutneys and olives
- Luxury homemade pastries
- Traditional baked breads, cakes and sweet
or
savoury crepes
- Rare breed pork and organic poultry
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Organic
soups
- Jams and fresh fruit juices
- Plants
- Handmade craft including jewellery & woodcarvings
The Newry-Dundalk Speciality Food and Craft
Market is an EU Interreg 111A funded project
through the East Border Region and part funded
by both Newry and Mourne District Council and
Dundalk Town Council.
Free: St. Helena’s Park
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Sunday
1st June
Groundswell - A Dancing
Nature
An opportunity for pre-school children
to dance together with their parents within
the trees of St. Helena's Park. A shared seasonal
song, a circle dance and a chance to participate
in the spirit of the day. A designated area
of the park will offer the youngest festival
goers a chance to express their dancing nature
and celebration of spring.
Free: St. Helena’s Park
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Sunday
1st June
The ‘BIG DAY
OUT INFLATIBLE PLAYGROUND’
Exact times of the events will be
published later!
Free: St. Helena’s Park
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Sunday
1st June
Fairbank Productions
- Play On Words Theatre presents:
TOM CREAN – ANTARTIC EXPLORER
Written and Performed by Aidan Dooley
Tom Crean, the intrepid Antarctic
explorer and one of Ireland’s unsung
heroes, is brought to life in this dramatic
and humorous solo performances by Aidan Dooley.
Hear the riveting true stories of Crean’s
Antarctic explorations as one of the few men
to serve with both Scott and Shackleton and
survive the three famous expeditions: Discovery,
(1901 – 1904); Terra Nova (1910 – 1913);
and Endurance (1914 - 1916).
Crean’s story is a testament of human
fortitude against all the elements of the Antarctic,
his 36 mile, solitary trek to base camp during
the Terra Nova expedition to rescue his comrades
Teddy Evans and William Lashly has been described
by Antarctic historians as “the finest
feat of individual heroism from the entire
age of exploration”. He was subsequently
awarded the Albert Medal for his bravery.
This multi-award winning show has now played
critically acclaimed sell-out performances
throughout Ireland, USA, Australia, Europe
and the UK.
“a remarkable
and uplifting piece of theatre, gives everything
and asks nothing.”
Emer O’Kelly, Sunday Independent Dublin
“This magnificent revelation of a fascinating
character simply compels a standing ovation”
Gerry Colgan, The Irish Times Dublin
“You will go to then end of the earth
to find theatre this rewarding’
Murray Bramwell, The Australian
‘An unparalleled portrayal’
Gina Bellafante New York Times
Tickets: €25.00
Performance 8.00pm
Venue: Main Auditorium
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Sunday
1st June
Final Night Fling with
Eugene Donegan
Eugene Donegan is a singer/songwriter
from Co Meath. Brought up on the music of Johnny
Cash and Kris Kristofferson his songs reflect
the honesty and direct approach of said artists.
In 1998 he moved to Australia where he met Declan
O Rourke. Together they both developed their
own songwriting styles which resulted in the
seven track "Donegan/O Rourke" recorded
in a Sydney studio. Since returning to Ireland
Eugene has played support to many of Ireland's
top performers including Declan O’Rourke,
Cathy Davey and Mary Coughlan as well as filling
local venues like the Spirit Store and McHugh's.
Declan is currently producing his debut album
due for release in September.
Free: Riva Brasserie
Performance 10.30pm
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May / Samhradh
Festival 08 / June
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