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Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

IAA criticises Channel 4 over 'misguided attack' on Ryanair

The Dispatches programme, which aired last night, gave details of pilots’ safety concerns, particularly around fuel loads.

THE IRISH AVIATION Authority (IAA) has said that it is “disappointed” with the Channel 4 Dispatches programme that aired last night, which revealed the safety concerns of some Ryanair pilots.

Details of three flights which issued Mayday fuel alerts in one incident were given in the programme last night. The planes had been diverted from Madrid to Valencia but had all entered into their reserve fuel tanks and had less than half an hour of flying left.

In a statement today, the IAA said that it was disappointed that “once again Channel 4 Dispatches has decided to engage in a misguided attack on the regulation of a low cost carrier, based upon false and misleading information”.

The IAA said this information “may undermine the travelling public’s confidence in civil air transport in Europe, which, because of the intensive regulatory regime, remains the safest mode of mass transport”.

Commenting on Ryanair’s fuel policy, the IAA added that it was regularly reviewed and that it has “no concerns” that any undue upload restrictions “implied of otherwise” exist. It added that the fact that all three of the aircraft mentioned in this incident landed safely “shows that the system worked in full”.

Safety

The programme last night also gave details of a survey commissioned by The Ryanair Pilot Group, which found that more than eight out of ten pilots in the airline believe it does not have an “open and transparent safety culture”. In addition, just over two thirds of those surveyed said they didn’t feel comfortable raising safety-related issues through the company’s own internal systems.

The authority said it conducts a “comprehensive” oversight and surveillance programme of all Irish airlines and that Ryanair fully complies with all European and international regulations in all of its operations.

The IAA does not rely on surveys carried out by either airlines or Pilots Groups’. Instead we operate the system mandated by the European Union (EASA)

Over 7,350 reports were received by the IAA from aviation professionals and the statement said that it responded to personal letters and reports from Ryanair pilots as well as having several meetings and face-to-face interviews with them.

“The fact that the outcome of an investigation or analysis does not concur with the views of the persons concerned does not alter the fact that they were investigated in full,” it said.

Speaking to Newstalk earlier today, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said that despite the incident with the three flights, the airline has not changed its policy and added that pilots are the ones who choose the fuel load on the planes they fly.

Related: “We don’t want boy racers flying our planes” – Michael O’Leary hits back>

More: Ryanair to sue Channel 4 over Dispatches programme on pilots and safety>

Read: Ryanair pilots reveal serious concerns about passenger safety>

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62 Comments
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    Mute Owen G Mc Ginley
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:13 PM

    Very strange that Germany can expand a Coal Mine, but the Irish have to close their Bogs and stop cutting Turf. Where’s the equality in Europe.

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    Mute Giles Wolohan
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:20 PM

    @Owen G Mc Ginley: all down to good old eamo

    789
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    Mute David Jordan
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:28 PM

    @Owen G Mc Ginley: Turf cutting is regulated under the RAMSAR Directive, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), EU legislation, including the Water Framework
    Directive etc., the main aims of these international agreements is to preserve biodiversity, reducing CO2 emissions plays a secondary role. These lignite coal mines are not wetlands, so they avoided most regulations that govern turf cutting.

    Germany reopened its lignite coal mines after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, that resulted in them deciding to close all their Nuclear Power Plants under pressure from the Greens. That resulted in a shortfall in energy generation as they had not built enough renewable generation to fill the gap, that gap was filled by reopening giant Lignite mines and importing more electricity from France (which ironically gets most of its energy from Nuclear).

    https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-climate-targets

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    Mute Hugh Mc Donnell
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:31 PM

    @Owen G Mc Ginley: eamon wants to be a great green god of Europe.

    225
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:38 PM

    @Giles Wolohan: Good old Vlad more like.

    45
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    Mute Mac Dara Powell
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    Jan 17th 2023, 11:37 PM

    @David Jordan: David they are reopening the coal mines not because of Fukushima but the sanctions they put on Russian gas and the Nord stream pipeline being blown up.

    52
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    Mute Phil Keran
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    Jan 18th 2023, 12:01 AM

    @Owen G Mc Ginley: you do know we have plenty of our own coal mines in Ireland, that should be opened up too, if the Germanys can do it why can’t we!!!!

    65
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    Mute Sea-point Point
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    Jan 18th 2023, 9:07 AM

    @Phil Keran: plenty of coal mines… :-D Name one that would be profitable to put on stream….

    7
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    Mute David Jordan
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    Jan 18th 2023, 9:37 AM

    @Mac Dara Powell: no, this is not related to recent events. The protests have been going on since 2012, the sizes of the protests increase when a village gets demolished.

    Under German law all lignite mines are due to close by 2038, that hasn’t changed. Also, the Garzweiler II mine is due to close sooner, by 2030, that hasn’t changed. Germany extended the life of its lignite mines after the 2011 Fukushima disaster and closure of all its nuclear power plants.

    Garzweiler II mine opened in 1980, the planned demolition of 12 villages and towns, and the eviction of 12,000 people, is part of the long term plan to expand the surface mine. The mine covers an area of 32 km2, but it’s approved to expand to over an area of 110 km2 (area of Dublin City, not county). It will mine 1.1 billion tonnes of Lignite over the next c. 7-8 years.

    13
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    Mute John Moloney
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:28 PM

    Should just ignore her spoilt brat

    971
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:17 PM

    @John Moloney: stay classy John.

    350
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    Mute JC O'Connachain
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:19 PM

    @John Moloney: Can you explain how she is spoilt? All ears if you have some evidence of that, not an opinion or conspiracy but actual evidence

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    Mute jason weir
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:32 PM

    @John Moloney: daft comment

    175
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    Mute John Moloney
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:38 PM

    @jason weir: Really thats your opinion in reality its true

    138
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    Mute Tomo
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    Jan 17th 2023, 8:23 PM

    @John Moloney: Maybe she appears that way to you because she wants to save this planet and its ecosystem to stop humans from destroying everything in the name of profit. She’s not just going to accept the status quo ‘this is just the way it is’ and I respect her for that. She could go to college, become an accountant, and be a 9 to 5 droid to our economic system for the rest of her life (the system which is destroying our planet for profit) but she’s chosen to be give up any semblance of a normal childhood and early adulthood to raise awareness. Full respect from me.

    238
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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Jan 17th 2023, 9:08 PM

    @JC O’Connachain: Greta Thunberg’s net worth in over $1 million. Do not think she is suffering from lack of food and shelter as are millions of people in third world countries who need cheap fuel for heat and survival. Greta is a perfect example of the do as I say not as I do twits of this world.

    https://www.tuko.co.ke/406466-greta-thunberg-net-worth-2022-how-wealthy-teen-climate-activist.html

    274
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    Mute John Moloney
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    Jan 17th 2023, 9:55 PM

    @Tomo: save the planet explain how she gets to every country while she saves the planet is she walking

    205
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    Mute Type17
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:02 PM

    @Don Hogan: So do you have to be especially poor before you’re allowed to protest climate breakdown? What’s the cut-off point? Can you protest a bit if you’re quite well-off, but not really rich?

    128
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    Mute Paul Jude Redmond
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:04 PM

    @Tomo: 100% agree

    39
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    Mute Tomo
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:27 PM

    @John Moloney: So your logic is:

    Greta uses public transport like the rest of us = as a result she’s not allowed to criticise the system or raise awareness?

    That’s like saying people who use the HSE services can’t criticise the government’s health policies. Ridiculous logic – in fact I’m not sure that’s logic at all.

    100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions. The only meaningful change is for government intervention and regulation. Individuals doing x or y isn’t going to do anything.

    95
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    Mute @ritawild@mastodon.ie
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    Jan 18th 2023, 12:14 PM

    @John Moloney: Ignore John, he won’t save ye. He’s the spoilt one here.

    5
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    Mute JC O'Connachain
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    Jan 18th 2023, 7:16 PM

    @Don Hogan: Ah Don, I’ve read the above article and if you are basing your argument on something the Sun says you are on a weak footing. They have had classy views on a wide range of things including Hillsborough

    2
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    Mute Dermot N Killian
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    Jan 18th 2023, 10:09 PM

    @JC O’Connachain: the staged ‘arrest’ to enhance her activist status.

    3
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:39 PM

    Good to see the German cops doing their job, climate zealots ideology don’t care that their is a very serious temporary energy problem for Germany and Europe, only care about their own climate Religion,

    454
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    Mute jason weir
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:45 PM

    @Ned: yep nazis onthe rise again cop on ya fool

    79
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    Mute Claude Saulnier
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:49 PM

    @Ned: ‘Temporary energy problem’? Can you expand on that?

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Jan 17th 2023, 8:01 PM

    @Ned: This is not related to recent events, Germany reopened its Lignite surface mines after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, which provoked them to close all their nuclear reactors.

    The demolition of 12 villages and towns is part of the long term plan to expand the Garzweiler surface mine. The mine covers an area of 32 km2, but it’s approved to expand to over an area of 110 km2 (area of Dublin City, not county).

    View of the mine: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48734321

    It will mine 1.1 billion tonnes of Lignite over the next 15 years, until 2038, after which Germany will phase out Lignite mining.

    It won’t be 110 km2 at any one time, as it fills in the hole behind it as it goes and the land is put back the way as it was, but minus the 12,000 people that will be evicted from their homes (30,000 people were evicted since 1980).

    56
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    Mute Asio_Otus
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    Jan 17th 2023, 9:30 PM

    @David Jordan: I think more impactful views of the mine literally eating up farmland and nearing the next villages in The Atlantic here:

    https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2023/01/luetzerath-protests-german-coal-mine-expands/672696/

    Kind of apocalyptic looking to my eyes

    28
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:00 PM

    @jason weir: name caller you just revealed the type of person you are, you have a lot of class all of it low.

    35
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:02 PM

    @Claude Saulnier: no need you should know if you are paying attention to what is going on in Europe right now.

    16
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:04 PM

    @David Jordan: fair comment but I have read somewhere that the Germans want faze out coal in the next 10 years??

    12
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    Mute Jen Mc
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    Jan 18th 2023, 12:06 AM

    @Ned: say they haven’t been paying attention, can you not explain considering you seem to know so much?

    13
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 18th 2023, 12:41 AM

    @Jen Mc: nothing to explain, with all the news and social media to tap into for all this info not my problem if some people have their head in the sand like the auld ostrich,

    15
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    Mute Míleata Watch Co
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:30 PM

    Why isn’t she in school

    422
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    Mute jason weir
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:34 PM

    @Míleata Watch Co: think shes too old why are you not in play school

    /

    249
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    Mute jason weir
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    Jan 17th 2023, 7:41 PM

    @John Moloney: sad post

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    Mute damian
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    Jan 17th 2023, 8:23 PM

    @Míleata Watch Co: She’s 20. An adult. She can do what she wants!

    111
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    Mute alan
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    Jan 17th 2023, 9:11 PM

    @damian: John Moloney is our resident Ukraine expert. Maybe he should stick with what he knows best.

    51
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    Mute Fergal Canton
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:42 PM

    @Míleata Watch Co:
    Seriously? Where have you been for the past five years? Don’t you understand yet why she is not in school? Why millions of students follow her in not being in school? Are you a recently arrived alien?

    37
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    Mute John Smith
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:36 PM

    Wow, woman arrested in Germany at protest .

    208
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    Mute Séan Ó Nuanáin
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:19 PM

    #freeGreta

    149
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:06 PM

    @Séan Ó Nuanáin: she’s free so????

    17
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    Mute Jen Mc
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:22 PM

    All I see here is a lot of grown men disliking a young adult for no reason. There’s just no way she has affected any of their lives.

    133
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    Mute Stephen Deegan
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    Jan 18th 2023, 12:09 AM

    @Jen Mc: It’s to do with a subconscious bias towards a young girl trying to change the world for the better. Psychologists reckon it’s a loss of control thing. There’s a mountain of science behind it. It’s fascinating. BTW, I’m a middle aged man and I think she’s doing a great job.

    105
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    Mute Jen Mc
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    Jan 18th 2023, 12:20 AM

    @Stephen Deegan: I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, Stephen. And to be fair there a few lads here supporting her. I guess I’m just also surprised by the amount here who dislike her for no apparent reason.

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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 18th 2023, 1:03 AM

    @Jen Mc: a sure nobody men or women dislikes her they just dislike how they zealots in the climate religion use her for their own interests.

    75
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    Mute Liam
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    Jan 17th 2023, 10:06 PM

    Pity about her

    83
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    Mute potnoodle
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:09 PM

    Where’s the wizard of mud video?

    77
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    Mute Lad
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    Jan 17th 2023, 6:18 PM
    42
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    Mute Tom Kelly
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    Jan 17th 2023, 9:16 PM

    That’s gas

    52
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    Mute Aidy McBride
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    Jan 18th 2023, 4:22 AM

    I didnt like her before but she layed the smackdown on Andrew Tate so that put her up in my estimation.

    38
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    Mute Stephen Deegan
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    Jan 18th 2023, 12:05 AM
    31
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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Jan 18th 2023, 10:28 AM

    Splashing paint on the poor coal….but seriously, it seems she’s gotta protest at anything to remain relevant.

    29
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Jan 18th 2023, 6:36 PM

    Great photo! Everyone looks quite content.

    3
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