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Family members at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa arriving to check for info on the crashed flight Elias Masseret/PA Images

One Irish person among 157 dead after Ethiopian Airlines plane crashes en route to Kenya

It has been reported that there were no survivors among the 157 people on board the aircraft.

LAST UPDATE | 10 Mar 2019

AN ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES Boeing 737 crashed this morning en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi in Kenya with 149 passengers and eight crew believed to be on board, Ethiopian Airlines said.

One of the passengers was an Irish person, the airline confirmed at a press conference this afternoon.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told TheJournal.ie: “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the incident and providing consular assistance.”

Ethiopia’s state broadcaster has said that there are no survivors from the 157 who were on board.

“We hereby confirm that our scheduled flight ET 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was involved in accident today,” the airline said in a statement.

“It is believed that there were 149 passengers and eight crew on board the flight but we are currently confirming the details of the passenger manifest for the flight.”

The plane took off at 8.38 am (6.38am Irish time) from Bole International Airport and “lost contact” six minutes later.

The weather in the capital, according to an AFP reporter, was clear when the brand-new Boeing, delivered to Ethiopia last year, took off.

The plane came down near the village of Tulu Fara outside Bishoftu.

An AFP reporter said there was a massive crater at the crash site, with belongings and airplane parts scattered widely.

Rescue crews were retrieving human remains from the wreckage.

Police and troops were on the scene, as well as a crash investigation team from Ethiopia’s civil aviation agency.

In this afternoon’s press conference, Ethiopian Airlines said that there were 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians and nine Ethiopians among the passengers.

There were also eight Americans, seven Britons and seven French citizens.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office tweeted it “would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning”.

In a statement, Boeing said it was “deeply saddened” by the crash.

“Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane,” the company said in a statement.

“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team,” it said.

A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board.

The single-aisle Boeing 737 MAX is one of the world’s newest and most advanced commercial passenger jets. But the company has come under fire for possible glitches with the plane, which entered service in 2017.

© AFP 2019  

With reporting from Seán Murray

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    Mute K
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    Mar 10th 2019, 9:34 AM

    Awful news. Condolences to these people’s families.

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    Mute Delta Kilo
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    Mar 10th 2019, 9:46 AM

    Terrible news. RIP to all on board. Shocking indeed. This is the second fatal crash involving the 73 Max. Lion Air being the first and now this. Both brand new AC too. Very sad for all their families.

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    Mute Carl
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    Mar 10th 2019, 10:05 AM

    Terrible news. Reading here that these aircraft are 3 years old? Is that correct? Surely a full recall has to be done

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    Mute Peter
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    Mar 10th 2019, 10:48 AM

    @Carl: Less than that

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    Mute John Considine
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:27 AM

    @Carl: It’s also the second crash involving an apparent issue with vertical airspeed. Given the short timeline of apparently relate-able incidents and the fact that there actually aren’t even very many of these planes out there, because they are so new, I would hope relevant agencies would ground these aircraft until their safety can be proven.

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    Mute John Tanner
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:49 AM

    @Carl: so you are looking to ground over 350 aircraft in service? Good luck with that

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    Mute Crocodylus Pontifex
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:56 AM

    @John Tanner: It was done before with nearly 300 DC10s in 1979 but it would be total chaos. The fatalities to flight hour ratio for the MAX 8 is unacceptable so unless the cause is found soon it may be the only option.

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    Mute Vincent
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:07 PM

    @Carl: the plane is just a few months old.

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    Mute Ian Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:35 PM

    @Vincent: I think he means the 737 max in general. First flight for this aircraft type was in 2016.

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    Mute Chemical Brothers
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:35 PM

    @Delta Kilo: Both crashes occurred minutes after take off. Something obviously badly wrong with the Max.

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    Mute Carl
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    Mar 10th 2019, 7:49 PM

    Seems like a huge undertaking yes, but can Boeing really leave all remaining models in service knowing there have been a few similar incidents.

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    Mute David Garland
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:52 AM

    Only on Friday I had a boeing Engineer in my taxi.. As I’m a nervous flyer I asked him how safe flying was these days and he said it’s incredibly safe but he added that he wouldn’t be surprised if there was a crash soon.. And of course been a nervous flyer I asked why and he said that Airlines are running planes 24/7 and doing the absolute minimum maintenance required.. His exact words to me was “Stick to the big American and European Airlines”

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:03 PM

    @David Garland: WOW !! That’s shocking. Lives and Safety before profit.

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    Mute Sega Yolo
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:25 PM

    @David Garland: as far as I’m aware Ethiopian are a first class airline and have a well run transatlantic network that’s as safe as the European and American carriers. It’s too early to tell if this is a fault or maintenance issues or even something as simple as a procedural difference in operating and flying a new model.

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    Mute Chemical Brothers
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:45 PM

    @Sega Yolo: My bet is on the plane and the new MCAS system. Required due to the offset CofG which in turn is due to the more forward & higher position of the larger engines on the Max.

    Boeing convinced most regulatory authorities they didn’t need to tell pilots about the new MCAS system and therefore airlines didn’t need to give pilots any transition training to the new 737 version. So if the AoA sensor goes dicky the pilots wnd up fighting the MCAS system that they are not trained in.

    Some regulatory authorities such as in Brazil forced new training on the Max.

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    Mute David Garland
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:49 PM

    @Sega Yolo: I wasn’t saying that’s the reason of this crash but just thought was a coincidence considering what he said on Friday night..

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    Mute Paddy Downey
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:17 PM

    @Chemical Brothers: what about the falange

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:29 PM

    @Sega Yolo: Correct. There is nothing wrong with Ethiopian. Of course there are dodgy African and Asian airlines but this dodgy ones are already listed as such by the likes of Euro aviation authority. Ethiopian is as good as any European airline.

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    Mute Miriam Vincent
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:45 PM

    @Paddy Downey: There is no phalange

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    Mute James McErlain
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    Mar 10th 2019, 2:35 PM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: He forgot to tell you that Boeing’s 737-800 Max has a built in design fault which caused the Lion Air crash and has a lot of similarities to this crash.

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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Mar 10th 2019, 3:05 PM

    @Paddy Downey: Great that you like to make stupid jokes after a tragedy where 157 people died, get a life!

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    Mute Noirin Kavanagh
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    Mar 10th 2019, 3:32 PM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: shocking, but hardly surprising…..

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    Mute Jerry O'Sullivan
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    Mar 10th 2019, 10:51 AM

    It was a new B737 8 Max. A worrying trend of accidents on this new variant. Condolences to all .

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:41 AM

    @Jerry O’Sullivan: Although the potential faults are of concern and serious, I do think “trend” is an overstatement .

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    Mute The Thinker
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:40 PM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: Says you, while asking if everyone else is an expert!

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    Mute Ciarán Corrigan
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:52 PM

    @The Thinker: be careful, I think you will find he’s a hell of a lot qualified!

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    Mute Gearoid Mag Lennain
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    Mar 10th 2019, 10:03 AM

    Nothing wrong with the 737NG I don’t understand the need to improve to a bigger model! Everyone knows with changes there comes problems in aviation! Boeing have a lot to answer for no doubt!

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    Mute The Thinker
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    Mar 10th 2019, 10:21 AM

    @Gearoid Mag Lennain: Exactly. The NG is well tried and tested, and a good aircraft

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 10:39 AM

    @Gearoid Mag Lennain: Are you an expert in aeronautical safety? What statistics and published reports are you basing your comment on? Thanks

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    Mute P Mc G
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:07 AM

    @Gearoid Mag Lennain: Greed. Simple.

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    Mute Mícheál de Burca
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:16 AM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: 189 dead in Indonesia, 157 dead in Ethiopia both within minutes of take off. Time to ground these aircraft until cause is found and corrected. Being an aeronautical safety expert or not will not change the suffering of the victims families

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:19 AM

    @The Thinker: Are you an aeronautical expert too? I’d be interested in reading your reference material.

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:21 AM

    @Mícheál de Burca: At no stage did I say it would. I was just wondering if these individuals are experts in this field.

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    Mute Gearoid Mag Lennain
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:21 AM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: I’m basing my comment on my professional opinion. Do I have to explain myself to you to have an opinion?

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    Mute Mícheál de Burca
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:25 AM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: Why does that matter?

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    Mute arnaas
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:34 AM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: Id say your great craic on a night out!

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    Mute Tony Lyons
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:34 AM

    @Gearoid Mag Lennain: you have no idea what happened

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:36 AM

    @Gearoid Mag Lennain: Your “professional opinion” – so you claim to be an expert on aeronautics? Why are you being so defensive. I simply want to refer to your sources in order to broaden my understanding. Perhaps it is unwise to rely on you for that enlightenment !!!!

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:36 AM

    @Mícheál de Burca: What ?

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    Mute Margate
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:53 AM

    @Gearoid Mag Lennain: Good for you! It seems many on here are ” experts” in Everything! Same people dont bother to inform themselves, preferring instead to take ‘ the informed’ to task.

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    Mute Margate
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:54 AM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: Are you?

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    Mute Vincent
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:20 PM

    @Gearoid Mag Lennain: the 737 max 8 is the answer to Airbus releasing the A320 Neo. Airlines companies wants more economical aircraft able to fly longer distance with more passengers. So that’s the evolution of the aircrafts filling the wish of the airlines companies.

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    Mute Ronan O' Grady
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:02 PM

    @arnaas: hahahaha goodman !!! Great crack in the pub :) :)

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    Mute Delboy79
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:04 PM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: Self righteous much?

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 2:45 PM

    @Margate: Strangely he seems reluctant to divulge his sources of information. I simply wanted to read the evidence that he has read. Very odd.

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 2:47 PM

    @Margate: I’m not purporting to be, which you would know if you had actually read my question before posting your supposedly smart comment.

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 2:49 PM

    @Delboy79: Dickus Headus much !!!! How can asking for information be deemed self righteous. I think you need to brush up on your definitions before trying to be smart .

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 2:51 PM

    @Tony Lyons: Very well said. This guy is so defensive. Unbelievable.

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 2:55 PM

    @Mícheál de Burca: I have already answered your query. If you don’t have an enquiring mind, you remain in the dark. Please go and switch your light on.

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    Mute Beircheart Breathnach
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    Mar 10th 2019, 3:00 PM

    @Margate: Are you ??????????? I doubt it !!!!!!?

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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Mar 10th 2019, 4:10 PM

    @Gearoid Mag Lennain: Aircraft manufacturers don’t make changes for the craic!
    The max still contains parts who’s designs are over 40 years old.
    More fuel efficiency, more capacity, better electronics. Nothing is changed on an aircraft without years of design and testing.

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    Mute Michael Burke
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:24 PM

    @Beircheart Breathnach: ad hominem much?

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Mar 10th 2019, 12:27 PM

    May they all rest in peace. There’s no point in getting involved with the cause of this accident as I’m pretty the family’s of the people involved have other worries right now. unlike a lot of you here who just want to be heard above everyone else. This was my reason in deleting my Journal account sometime ago I see the same people on here some with multable accounts who just want to be boss of the keyboard .

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    Mute Ronan O' Grady
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:03 PM

    @Alan Scott: damn right!!!

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    Mute Vocal Outrage
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:28 PM

    @Alan Scott: of you deleted your account you obviously felt aggrieved enough to reactivate it to tell us all how aggrieved you feel. Hypocritical much?

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    Mute Margate
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:58 AM

    Terrible, shocking loss of lives. Condolences to all families.

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    Mute K
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:35 PM

    True, the Irish are everywhere but this one isn’t really obscure. Ethiopian Airlines is the only African liner flying direct to Ireland. With the amount of NGO workers, Missionaries and ex pats from Ireland in East Africa, we are lucky their wasn’t more.

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    Mute K
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:36 PM

    @K: oops. This was in reference to @WoodlandBart.

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    Mute WoodlandBard
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:30 PM

    RIP everyone and thoughts for the families. Applause, though, for the airlines for an amazing safety record considering all of those planes flying. We rarely get air crashes in the news.

    One thing, though, in most air crashes, no matter how obscure and regional it is, there always seems to be at least one Irish person on board. A reminder of the scattering of this small country.

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    Mute Margaret Linehan
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    Mar 10th 2019, 9:37 AM

    Not funny at all

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    Mute Robert Clifford
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:05 PM

    God help them.

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    Mute Viktor
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    Mar 10th 2019, 1:54 PM

    Awful

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    Mute Noel McGuinness
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    Mar 10th 2019, 5:08 PM

    shocking

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    Mute Noel McGuinness
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    Mar 10th 2019, 5:18 PM

    Hi

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    Mute Viktor
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    Mar 10th 2019, 11:09 PM

    @Noel McGuinness: Your new account is live comrade

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    Mute Noel McGuinness
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    Mar 10th 2019, 5:07 PM

    good

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    Mute Noel McGuinness
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    Mar 10th 2019, 5:19 PM

    y

    1
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    Mute Noel McGuinness
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    Mar 10th 2019, 5:16 PM

    Amazing work

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    Mute Derek Kelly☘
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    Mar 10th 2019, 10:59 AM

    @Niall Howard: Idiot

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