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Photocall Ireland

President Higgins to have a quiet first day

The ninth President of Ireland has no official public engagements until tomorrow.

MICHAEL D HIGGINS has no official engagements today, his first full day as the ninth President of Ireland.

The newly-inaugurated Head of State wakes up in Áras an Uachataráin for the first time this morning but his public works will not begin until Sunday.

His first official appearance will be at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin tomorrow afternoon for the annual Remembrance Day service.

From there he will make his first presidential trip to Northern Ireland to attend the final of the All-Island School Choir Competition in Derry.

Next week, Higgins will attend the second leg of Ireland’s play-off for qualification for next summer’s European Championships. Following last night’s four-nil win, the atmosphere at the Aviva Stadium will be a celebratory one.

On Thursday evening, he will meet fellow poet Seamus Heaney at the Irish Book Awards as the Nobel laureate receives a lifetime achievement award.

The new president will also have to appoint seven people to his Council of State, his advisory board for the next seven years.

The Presidential inauguration: As it happened (liveblog)>

In full: The inaugural address of President Michael D Higgins>

In full: Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s speech at the Presidential inauguration>

Gallery: Inauguration of Ireland’s first poet-President… in 1938>

Presidential poems – how the Americans use the verse>

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33 Comments
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    Mute Ronan Faherty
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:07 PM

    Can it not just be called “the national children’s hospital”

    582
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    Mute Brendan Hughes
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:34 PM

    @Ronan Faherty: or if a name must go on it give it an Irish name. Cú Chullain Ospideal na leannì

    136
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:36 PM

    @Brendan Hughes:
    I can see that just rolling off the tongue….

    126
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    Mute Jeanniejampots
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:56 PM

    @Ronan Faherty: no because that’s already what Tallaght is and this is a new entity.

    12
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    Mute Robert Jones Smith
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:32 PM

    @Ronan Faherty: Hospital Mc Hospitalface

    114
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    Mute The Risen
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:08 PM

    Oh FFS. Perspective please labour. The choice of name won’t endanger children. Building it in a location already crippled with traffic issues at peak times will.

    441
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    Mute George Oscar Bluth
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:17 PM

    @The Risen: where would you have built it?

    17
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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:41 PM

    @George Oscar Bluth: green field site possibly blanchardstown.

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:42 PM

    @TonyF: Westport maybe? Or where are you suggesting?

    6
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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:43 PM

    @The Risen: yeah, the m50 is a breeze to drive most if the time. (Only a person who hasn’t driven the m50 in the few years would suggest blanch)

    30
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    Mute The Risen
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:50 PM

    @Diarmuid the 15th:

    twitter.com/urrfadder

    Diarmuid
    @urrfadder

    Joined October 2017

    Banned again dermo?

    58
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    Mute Jarlath Murphy
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:02 PM

    @Diarmuid: Those aul plastic bullet guns don’t fire themselves you know, they have to aimed,

    36
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    Mute Steve Mac
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:03 PM

    @Dave Harris: I’m on the m50 regularly. I suggest Blanchardstown.

    55
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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:05 PM

    @TonyF: Tell that to Jonathan Ball and Tim Parry’s parents.

    18
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    Mute were jammin
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:06 PM

    @The Risen: Are you sure Diarmuid has only been banned 14 times? He was up to 13 a few months ago if I recall correctly……

    31
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    Mute The Risen
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:55 PM

    @were jammin: LOL! Looks like you hit a nerve. Dermos throwing his adorable little name calling tantrum.

    34
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    Mute were jammin
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:07 PM

    @The Risen: Yes, quite abrasive and childish to be honest. I’ll report it after the weekend……WJ out

    21
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    Mute For Connolly
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:10 PM

    @Diarmuid: nonsense!

    I detest everything SF, the IRA and their trolls stand for. They are a threat to our democracy.

    FC out….

    25
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    Mute The Risen
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:15 PM

    LOL!

    Another sim card down the tubes dermo?

    Just for the record folks, the real For Connollys twitter account is at the following…..

    twitter.com/ForConnolly

    22
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    Mute The Risen
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:19 PM

    @were jammin: Were Jammin. Oft imitated, never emulated.

    12
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    Mute For Connolly
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:24 PM

    @The Risen: remember that usurper troll account you also ran was banned many moons ago werejammin… rofl

    FC out…

    18
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    Mute Paul Kelly
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:37 PM

    @George Oscar Bluth:
    In the Phoenix Park on the site of St Mary’s hospital.

    The new Alder Hey is a stand alone children hospital in a parkland location as is the new Melbourne children’s hospital.
    Funny how they don’t need to be colocated with an adult hospital.

    14
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    Mute The Risen
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    Oct 29th 2017, 10:01 PM

    LOL! Can’t see the stupidity of using ‘FC out’ twice one after the other.

    Silly goose.

    13
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    Mute Christine O'Reilly
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    Oct 30th 2017, 3:46 AM

    @Joe Harbison: sorry but what has that got to do with the new children’s hospital???

    5
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    Mute Padraic Courtney
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    Oct 30th 2017, 8:43 AM

    @The Risen: “By the time I get to Phoenix “

    1
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    Mute Liam Ó Cuinneagáin
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:10 PM

    Tír na nÓg !

    162
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:11 PM

    @Liam Ó Cuinneagáin: I like it. It works on a few different levels, however tongue in cheek.

    35
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    Mute Brendan Mason
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:17 PM

    The Four Hour Traffic Jam Children’s Hospital.

    71
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Oct 30th 2017, 8:47 AM

    @Brendan Mason: the article claims St James’s is on the outskirts of Dublin city center! Ha!

    8
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    Mute Jarlath Murphy
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:12 PM

    Can we just build it and then worry about the name? #spinoversubstance

    73
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Oct 30th 2017, 8:46 AM

    @Jarlath Murphy: the problem with it having the exact same name as another major hospital will plague it and all the research and trials and accomplishments it makes until it changes its name or no longer exists. Ridiculous that this is not foreseen and avoided.

    16
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    Mute Séamus Longshanks
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:11 PM

    Agree, it is an artificial name with no meaning.

    59
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:10 PM

    Someone suggested that the hospital be named when it is actually constructed.

    Others have suggested that it be called the AIB or Bank of Ireland Children’s Hospital in recognition of the marvelous and good humanitarian works done by the Banks in Ireland.

    I might suggest The Children’s New Hospital but it has to be a special name.

    53
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    Mute Stephen Maher
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:19 PM

    Brendan is allways Howlin but nobody is listening.

    65
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    Mute winston smith
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:33 PM

    On first impression ‘Phoenix’ just doesn’t do it for me.

    52
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    Mute xor
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:37 PM

    Talking about names, Labour is a bad name for the “Labour” party!

    58
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    Mute Jarlath Murphy
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:14 PM

    @xor: Labour is a terrible name for a party that gleefully cheered austerity measure after austerity measure and then justified it to themselves by talking about “Tough Decisions” which affected them and their unvouched expenses not one iota while sneering about dregs and expensive phones!

    I will never vote Labour ever again!

    68
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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:18 PM

    @xor: __ That would be like the old British socialist newspaper that changed its name from The Daily Worker to The Morning Star. The Alf Garnett line was that they had to change the name because most of the people reading it were on benefits, and never had a job in their lives.

    8
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    Mute Barry morcom
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:30 PM

    can’t see why they don’t call it ‘ The vastly over budget and completely in the wrong place children’s hospital’ think that’s more appropriate….

    40
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    Mute Davy Boy
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:13 PM

    The Phoenix centre is the name of the new mental health hospital in Dublin 7 but I sure they know that

    35
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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:23 PM

    If they are going to name it after someone it should be “Cathrine Corless children’s hospital”!

    36
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    Mute Colin Masterson
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:12 PM

    Keep it simple. “Lir”..then the kids are the children of lir..

    35
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    Mute Irish Cottage Rental
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:00 PM

    National Children’s Hospital. Nothing else to say.

    30
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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Oct 29th 2017, 11:24 PM

    Labour party seem the public outrage on twitter etc and jumped on the bandwagon. They have 0 credibility on issues effecting the familys of this country after betraying them when in government 2011-2016.

    27
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    Mute Triona Murphy
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    Oct 30th 2017, 12:28 AM

    Brendan Howlin thinks the name is bizarre?? Most of us are far more worried that the location and model of care are bizarre! All decided when labour were in Government! My favourite name is “The Hames in St James”

    23
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    Mute Paul Coughlan
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    Oct 29th 2017, 10:24 PM

    And the Labour Party is trying to rise from the ashes. LABOUR PHOENIX

    11
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    Mute Dónal MacAonghusa
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:11 PM

    It is a sh*t choice … and probably will be changed ..Katie Taylor children’s hospital after this weekend is the best choice … but called it something like ICH and when some thing worth while happens or when someone dies change it…. all this cr*p and nothing done so far

    25
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    Mute lavbeer
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:30 PM

    @Dónal MacAonghusa: Agreed .. just build it!

    18
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Oct 29th 2017, 10:30 PM

    The test will be whether or not sick children are ever admitted to this planned hospital.

    10
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    Mute alphanautica
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:13 PM

    It should be named The Mayo Clinic after all the fine nurses that come from the proud county of the country’s best ever Taoiseach managing from economic crisis back to economic health.
    Surely this won’t cause any confusion, our Mayo came first.

    9
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    Mute Eric De Red
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    Oct 29th 2017, 7:26 PM

    A stupid place for a hospital and now a stupid name to go with it.

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    Mute Paul Byrne
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:57 PM

    They should just call it The Children Of Ireland Hospital.

    8
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    Mute ED
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    Oct 29th 2017, 11:01 PM

    We do have the Phoenix park so saying it has no link to Irish history isn’t really accurate..

    And actually that’s one reason to reconsider the name, you wouldn’t want some taxi man bringing a sick kid to the park instead of the hospital or GPS making the same mistake.. A unique easy to say and remember name is important.

    10
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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:42 PM

    It’s hardly a burning issue. However, is it not really close to the Phoenix Park? Or maybe we should rename that too

    6
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    Mute Slim Browne
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    Oct 30th 2017, 11:58 AM

    I reckon they shud name it the “this shudnt have been built here childrens hospital”

    4
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    Mute Paul Kehoe
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:19 PM

    Tir na Og

    3
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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Oct 30th 2017, 7:17 AM

    May be put the future name up for grabs to get funding via Advertising Revenue”,The Diageo,”sounds good.

    2
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    Mute John Scott
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    Oct 30th 2017, 8:04 AM

    Maybe the Moan Joan Kelly Hospital

    2
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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:40 PM

    Stupid name phoenix ,was this not the name of a alcohol beverage ,lets give its name to someone out of our history books ,the wolf tone childrens hospital ,a hospital which through the fullness of time will serve all the nations children ,from all political and religious spectrums and all parts of the island of ireland

    5
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    Mute Jun Stone
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    Oct 29th 2017, 8:23 PM

    Ah give it a rest, some people have f u c k all to give out about.

    9
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    Mute joe
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    Oct 29th 2017, 9:41 PM

    Who gives a shit about the name! The last cation probably makes sense in fairness.
    It’s close to an existing hospital, not too far from the m50 and is accessible by rail + Luas from all major cities in the country

    5
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