We flew into Shannon on Ireland's west coast and, after a short stay to recover from the time change, set out to see the country. The weather eliminated some of our outdoor plans, but we had a great time nonetheless!
by Foxboro Marmot on July 21, 2003
Many flights from America are 'red-eyes,' taking off early evening, arriving in Shannon the next morning, creating a jet lag problem. The best way to deal with this is by arranging a stay at a bed and breakfast near Shannon that allows for early morning arrivals, like the Bunratty Heights B&B (see entry). If you plan to use a credit card at a b&b, confirm in advance that it will be accepted, even if a guide book or other source says so. The system works this way: the credit card service charges a b&b operator 60 euros a month for one or more transactions. If there are no transactions in a calendar month, there's no charge. Depending on location, a b&b operator can do a lot of business with bus tours, cash and prepaid vouchers, possibly getting to the end of a month without encountering a credit card. If so, the operator may refuse your card. Check in advance.${QuickSuggestions} Ireland is becoming a bit expensive as the US dollar continues its low valuation relative to the Euro (mid-2003), but Ireland is getting expensive in its own right. While in Dublin, local newspapers had articles on Ireland becoming the priciest of the European Union countries. Locally produced goods were reasonable, but many of the services travellers need - hotels, b&bs, restaurants, car hires, etc. - seemed relatively more expensive for value received than on prior visits. If you've got your heart set on Ireland, go - but if you've got a list of places to see, you might put Ireland aside for next year and see if exchange rates turn more favorable.${BestWay} By all means, rent a car to get out and about in the countryside. Remembering to drive on the left isn't that tough until you get onto one of the smaller roads where it seems there's no left or right, only the middle! With a car you can pull over to explore whenever and wherever something intrigues you. We were continually fascinated by ruins of monasteries, churches and towers cropping up in cow pastures along small country roads and couldn't resist stopping to explore and wonder about the people who built and lived in these buildings hundreds of years ago. Of course, there are places like Clonmacnoise, Glendalough and the Rock of Cashel where exhibits and guides interpret the signifiance of the sites and place them in context of Irish history, but it was a bigger kick to simply stumble across a site and let our imaginations loose!
If you plan to use a credit card at a b&b, confirm in advance that it will be accepted, even if a guide book or other source says so. The system works this way: the credit card service charges a b&b operator 60 euros a month for one or more transactions. If there are no transactions in a calendar month, there's no charge. Depending on location, a b&b operator can do a lot of business with bus tours, cash and prepaid vouchers, possibly getting to the end of a month without encountering a credit card. If so, the operator may refuse your card. Check in advance.${QuickSuggestions} Ireland is becoming a bit expensive as the US dollar continues its low valuation relative to the Euro (mid-2003), but Ireland is getting expensive in its own right. While in Dublin, local newspapers had articles on Ireland becoming the priciest of the European Union countries. Locally produced goods were reasonable, but many of the services travellers need - hotels, b&bs, restaurants, car hires, etc. - seemed relatively more expensive for value received than on prior visits. If you've got your heart set on Ireland, go - but if you've got a list of places to see, you might put Ireland aside for next year and see if exchange rates turn more favorable.${BestWay} By all means, rent a car to get out and about in the countryside. Remembering to drive on the left isn't that tough until you get onto one of the smaller roads where it seems there's no left or right, only the middle! With a car you can pull over to explore whenever and wherever something intrigues you.
We were continually fascinated by ruins of monasteries, churches and towers cropping up in cow pastures along small country roads and couldn't resist stopping to explore and wonder about the people who built and lived in these buildings hundreds of years ago. Of course, there are places like Clonmacnoise, Glendalough and the Rock of Cashel where exhibits and guides interpret the signifiance of the sites and place them in context of Irish history, but it was a bigger kick to simply stumble across a site and let our imaginations loose!
Mrs. Patricia Darcy, proprietor of the Bunratty Heights, met us at the door when we jet-lagged travellers appeared at 9 am. Emails exchanged a few weeks prior assured us that we could check in as early as breakfast-time and we were ready to crash. She welcomed us, ushered us into the sitting room and went off to brew us a pot of tea. Meanwhile, she continued attending to the guests having breakfast one room over and somehow found time to straighten up a room for us. After a spot of warm tea and a biscuit we turned in for a few hours of sleep, the perfect way to get over our jet lag. Bunratty Heights is easy to find, even for the sleep-deprived. From Shannon Airport head toward Limerick. Once in the Bunratty area, follow signs for Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Turn left on the road between Bunratty Castle and Dirty Nellies Pub and look for Bunratty Heights on the left about 1 km down the road. Our room was clean and quiet with a small private bath. The shower didn't have much water volume, but that's a characteristic of showers throughout the country. The next morning we had a traditional Irish breakfast - sausage, bacon, eggs, juice, coffee, tea, toast, fruit, cereal, oatmeal - with as many refills of this artery-clogging conglomeration as we wished. Veteran travellers can calorie-load enough at breakfast to keep them going until dinner! Bunratty Heights is convenient to Shannon Airport (10 minutes) so you might want to book a room here if you have an early morning flight out of Ireland as we did. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is 1 km down the road as are Dirty Nellie's Pub, Mac's Pub and the Creamery Pub, but the narrow road, no sidewalk, the speed of local drivers and the occasional confusion of jet-lagged tourists make it imperative that for your safety you drive rather than walk to these sites.
Bunratty Heights is easy to find, even for the sleep-deprived. From Shannon Airport head toward Limerick. Once in the Bunratty area, follow signs for Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Turn left on the road between Bunratty Castle and Dirty Nellies Pub and look for Bunratty Heights on the left about 1 km down the road.
Our room was clean and quiet with a small private bath. The shower didn't have much water volume, but that's a characteristic of showers throughout the country.
The next morning we had a traditional Irish breakfast - sausage, bacon, eggs, juice, coffee, tea, toast, fruit, cereal, oatmeal - with as many refills of this artery-clogging conglomeration as we wished. Veteran travellers can calorie-load enough at breakfast to keep them going until dinner!
Bunratty Heights is convenient to Shannon Airport (10 minutes) so you might want to book a room here if you have an early morning flight out of Ireland as we did. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is 1 km down the road as are Dirty Nellie's Pub, Mac's Pub and the Creamery Pub, but the narrow road, no sidewalk, the speed of local drivers and the occasional confusion of jet-lagged tourists make it imperative that for your safety you drive rather than walk to these sites.
by Foxboro Marmot on July 24, 2003
Bed and breakfasts are a great way to see the country and meet people. Hosts are generally outgoing individuals, interested in talking about their part of the world and learning about yours. Fellow travellers share recommendations and warnings over breakfast. But sometimes, you just want to stay at a hotel again. Bewleys' Ballsbridge, just south of Dublin City center is an excellent choice. Ten minutes walk from the US embassy, a block away from the Royal Dublin Society -- host to the annual Dublin Horse Show as well as a recent Paul McCartney concert -- and across the street from the plusher, pricier Four Seasons, Bewley's Ballsbridge is well located. The DART -- Dublin Area Rapid Transit -- is a five minute walk from the hotel and it's only two or three stops to downtown. The building itself looks nothing like a hotel. It's a converted school, set back behind a lawn. Only a few cars and taxis hover around the front door because the garage . . . or car park . . . is hidden underground, underneath the lawn. Rooms are clean, spacious and comfortable but best of all are the showers. Pure delight! After days at B&Bs with only the merest trickle of lukewarm water, here was a deluge! And it could be warm, hot, hotter still! Ah, the luxury of it all! We didn't find this on our own. Friends living in Dublin suggested Bewleys as a hotel they often used for business travellers coming to Ireland. At 99 euros per night, plus tax and another 6 euros for parking we agree with their recommendation.
Bewleys' Ballsbridge, just south of Dublin City center is an excellent choice. Ten minutes walk from the US embassy, a block away from the Royal Dublin Society -- host to the annual Dublin Horse Show as well as a recent Paul McCartney concert -- and across the street from the plusher, pricier Four Seasons, Bewley's Ballsbridge is well located. The DART -- Dublin Area Rapid Transit -- is a five minute walk from the hotel and it's only two or three stops to downtown.
The building itself looks nothing like a hotel. It's a converted school, set back behind a lawn. Only a few cars and taxis hover around the front door because the garage . . . or car park . . . is hidden underground, underneath the lawn.
Rooms are clean, spacious and comfortable but best of all are the showers. Pure delight! After days at B&Bs with only the merest trickle of lukewarm water, here was a deluge! And it could be warm, hot, hotter still! Ah, the luxury of it all!
We didn't find this on our own. Friends living in Dublin suggested Bewleys as a hotel they often used for business travellers coming to Ireland. At 99 euros per night, plus tax and another 6 euros for parking we agree with their recommendation.
by Foxboro Marmot on August 4, 2003
Throughout Ireland, sites like the Rock of Cashel, Bunratty Castle or Glendalough, are either reconstructed, staffed with guides or host a museum. They give visitors a good understanding of what went on at that particular spot and how it fit into Irish history. But even more common are the abandoned ruins of once important sites, slowly deteriorating in the mist and fog of the Irish country side. There's a mystery and a grandeur about these ruins that even the best restored castle, most enthusiatic guide or most interesting museum lacks. Most sites are deserted except for nearby sheep or cows, allowing you to wander the grounds and ponder the past without distraction. Athassel Priory was one of our favorite off-the-beaten-track finds. The imposing church remains are easily visible off the left of the road. Simply pull off to the side and park. You'll need to walk through a cow pasture to get to the priory: there's a wooden style to help you over the stone wall just left of the metal gate. Watch your step through the pasture! A stream separates the cows from the priory. Cross the stone bridge and enter through the remains of a gatehouse. Once inside the priory grounds, explore and use you imagination. According to a local source, the priory was founded before 1200 and was the largest in Ireland until it burned in 1447. Large parts of the church walls and central tower remain, along with foundations of the monestary cloisters and other structures. Grave markers within the church walls attest to the priory's former importance.The tiny village of Golden is on the N74, halfway between the towns of Cashel and Tipperary. From the village, take the local road south about 1 mile to the remains of Athassel Priory.
Athassel Priory was one of our favorite off-the-beaten-track finds. The imposing church remains are easily visible off the left of the road. Simply pull off to the side and park. You'll need to walk through a cow pasture to get to the priory: there's a wooden style to help you over the stone wall just left of the metal gate. Watch your step through the pasture!
A stream separates the cows from the priory. Cross the stone bridge and enter through the remains of a gatehouse. Once inside the priory grounds, explore and use you imagination. According to a local source, the priory was founded before 1200 and was the largest in Ireland until it burned in 1447. Large parts of the church walls and central tower remain, along with foundations of the monestary cloisters and other structures. Grave markers within the church walls attest to the priory's former importance.
The tiny village of Golden is on the N74, halfway between the towns of Cashel and Tipperary. From the village, take the local road south about 1 mile to the remains of Athassel Priory.
by Foxboro Marmot on July 29, 2003
The Irish History Walking Tour is led by Trinity College graduates who majored in history. One feature of the tour is their willingness to debate any historical point. Supposedly, they can opppose you and convince you and the rest of the tour you're wrong. Then they can take your point, which they've just proved wrong, and convince everyone you were right. This didn't happen when we went. Our group was either very polite or lacked any understanding of Irish history... possibly both. At least that was true for me. There's a lot of ground to cover: Dublin's founding by Vikings in the 9th century, the Anglo Norman invasion in the 1100's, the Catholic-Protestant split following Henry VIII's break with the Pope,the potato's role in Ireland, the struggle for independence and today's political situation. It all plays out while walking from Trinity College, the Bank of Ireland and City Hall to Dublin Castle and Temple Bar. The downside: ours was a 2 hour 15 minute walk and, no matter how interesting, my feet were sore! But it did a couple of things: it put a lot of Irish history into perspective and made our later visits to the National Museum and historical sites around the country more meaningful. It sparked an interest that has me tracking down books on Irish history from my local library. Maybe on my next trip I'll be prepared well enough to get into an argument about some obscure historical trivia!
This didn't happen when we went. Our group was either very polite or lacked any understanding of Irish history... possibly both. At least that was true for me.
There's a lot of ground to cover: Dublin's founding by Vikings in the 9th century, the Anglo Norman invasion in the 1100's, the Catholic-Protestant split following Henry VIII's break with the Pope,the potato's role in Ireland, the struggle for independence and today's political situation. It all plays out while walking from Trinity College, the Bank of Ireland and City Hall to Dublin Castle and Temple Bar.
The downside: ours was a 2 hour 15 minute walk and, no matter how interesting, my feet were sore!
But it did a couple of things: it put a lot of Irish history into perspective and made our later visits to the National Museum and historical sites around the country more meaningful. It sparked an interest that has me tracking down books on Irish history from my local library. Maybe on my next trip I'll be prepared well enough to get into an argument about some obscure historical trivia!
Mix a bit of culture into your drinking time with the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. Two actors guide you through the Grafton Street/Temple Bar area, alternating short performances with 20 minute long stops at various pubs. The tour starts on the second floor of the Duke Pub on Duke Street. Have a pint - or maybe a half pint, this could develop into a long night - while your guides perform a short segment of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot and explain how the tour will work. Then it's off to Trinity College for a bit of Oscar Wilde under the Campanile, followed by a pub stop. Next, another outdoor performance, this time featuring Brendan Behan, another pub and a final stop at the Davy Byrne, made famous by James Joyce. Outside the last stop, your guides will have a trivia contest. Some questions come from the tour, others from general knowledge of Irish writers. Pay attention now... I'm going to divulge one answer which is almost insured to get you into the finals, in good position for a prize: Oscar Wilde lettered in BOXING at Trinity College. Although reservations are not required, CALL FOR RESERVATIONS. We arrived a half hour before the scheduled time on a Tuesday and were told we were not likely to get in. Fortunately, a large group with a reservation didn't show up and we were squeezed in.
The tour starts on the second floor of the Duke Pub on Duke Street. Have a pint - or maybe a half pint, this could develop into a long night - while your guides perform a short segment of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot and explain how the tour will work. Then it's off to Trinity College for a bit of Oscar Wilde under the Campanile, followed by a pub stop. Next, another outdoor performance, this time featuring Brendan Behan, another pub and a final stop at the Davy Byrne, made famous by James Joyce.
Outside the last stop, your guides will have a trivia contest. Some questions come from the tour, others from general knowledge of Irish writers. Pay attention now... I'm going to divulge one answer which is almost insured to get you into the finals, in good position for a prize: Oscar Wilde lettered in BOXING at Trinity College.
Although reservations are not required, CALL FOR RESERVATIONS. We arrived a half hour before the scheduled time on a Tuesday and were told we were not likely to get in. Fortunately, a large group with a reservation didn't show up and we were squeezed in.
by Foxboro Marmot on August 1, 2003
Along the west coast of Ireland, about an hour's drive from Limerick, stand the Cliffs of Moher. These sheer cliffs rise as much as 600 feet straight out of the sea, offering a dizzying view straight down to anyone courageous enough to belly up to the edge. It's all quite safe, of course, unless you do something stupid. From the parking lot, there's a walkway with a barrier to keep you away from harm and many people get enough of a view walking the half-mile of so to the gift shop/tower to the north. However, if you want to climb over the fence, past the 'do not go beyond this point' type signs and walk south along the cliffs, we've been told its permitted though not encouraged. According to our source, the walk along the cliffs is part of the Burren Way hiking path and continues a full three miles further, to Hag's Head. Naturally, we had to explore this. To one side, the cliffs; to the other, pastures with grazing cows. The path did get uncomfortably close to the edge in places . . . most uncomfortably where the ground was a bit wet and muddy . . . but it was wonderful to get away from the milling crowds on the main walkway to experience the wild wind, occasional salt spray (blown 600 feet up from the waves below!) and sounds of the sea birds
It's all quite safe, of course, unless you do something stupid. From the parking lot, there's a walkway with a barrier to keep you away from harm and many people get enough of a view walking the half-mile of so to the gift shop/tower to the north.
However, if you want to climb over the fence, past the 'do not go beyond this point' type signs and walk south along the cliffs, we've been told its permitted though not encouraged. According to our source, the walk along the cliffs is part of the Burren Way hiking path and continues a full three miles further, to Hag's Head.
Naturally, we had to explore this. To one side, the cliffs; to the other, pastures with grazing cows. The path did get uncomfortably close to the edge in places . . . most uncomfortably where the ground was a bit wet and muddy . . . but it was wonderful to get away from the milling crowds on the main walkway to experience the wild wind, occasional salt spray (blown 600 feet up from the waves below!) and sounds of the sea birds
by Foxboro Marmot on August 6, 2003
Historic sight? Prehistoric sight is more like it. North of Dublin, between the towns of Slane and Drogheda, are three passage tombs dating back to 3200 BC: Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. The Bru na Boinne Visitor Center explains their construction, why they were built, and introducs the people who built them. A short film explores the tombs alignment with the sun and shows how they may have served as an ancient observatory, much like Stonehenge. But the most important feature of the Visitor Center is that it provides the only available access to Newgrange and Knowth passage tombs (Dowth is not restored - visitors may walk around the site, but can not enter the tomb). On arrival, if space is still available, for an extra fee you may choose to see one of the tombs. Shuttle buses run from the Visitor Center to the tombs for guided tours. We chose to see Newgrange. The reconstructed tomb is a grass covered mound about 200 feet in diameter, sitting on a slight rise overlooking the River Boyne. Its south side was restored using white granite and quartz stones found at the site during archaeological excavations, giving it a steep white face that dazzles when the sun hits it. A ring of huge curbstones surrounds the tomb, some intricately carved with spirals, zigzags and geometric designs. The tour's highlight is a walk through the passage to the burial chamber at the heart of the mound. Again, many of the stones along the passage are carved. The passage, which was not restored but was instead found intact, is oriented so that on the winter solstice, December 21, the rising sun lights up the passage all the way to the burial chamber. At the Visitor Center, there's a place to enter a drawing. Each year a small group of people are selected to enter the chamber before dawn on the winter solstice and experience the same phenomenon that occurred here over 5000 years ago. The odds are terrible, but I'm in the lottery for winter solstice 2003. Hope to see you there!
North of Dublin, between the towns of Slane and Drogheda, are three passage tombs dating back to 3200 BC: Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. The Bru na Boinne Visitor Center explains their construction, why they were built, and introducs the people who built them. A short film explores the tombs alignment with the sun and shows how they may have served as an ancient observatory, much like Stonehenge.
But the most important feature of the Visitor Center is that it provides the only available access to Newgrange and Knowth passage tombs (Dowth is not restored - visitors may walk around the site, but can not enter the tomb). On arrival, if space is still available, for an extra fee you may choose to see one of the tombs. Shuttle buses run from the Visitor Center to the tombs for guided tours.
We chose to see Newgrange. The reconstructed tomb is a grass covered mound about 200 feet in diameter, sitting on a slight rise overlooking the River Boyne. Its south side was restored using white granite and quartz stones found at the site during archaeological excavations, giving it a steep white face that dazzles when the sun hits it. A ring of huge curbstones surrounds the tomb, some intricately carved with spirals, zigzags and geometric designs.
The tour's highlight is a walk through the passage to the burial chamber at the heart of the mound. Again, many of the stones along the passage are carved. The passage, which was not restored but was instead found intact, is oriented so that on the winter solstice, December 21, the rising sun lights up the passage all the way to the burial chamber.
At the Visitor Center, there's a place to enter a drawing. Each year a small group of people are selected to enter the chamber before dawn on the winter solstice and experience the same phenomenon that occurred here over 5000 years ago. The odds are terrible, but I'm in the lottery for winter solstice 2003. Hope to see you there!
Fans of the long-running BBC series, Ballykissangel, might be surprised to learn that Bally K is real. The series, revolving around Father Peter Clifford, a young English priest who transferred to a small Irish parish, was filmed in the County Wicklow village of Avoca. Many of the sights are within yards of each other - Fitzgerald's Pub, Hendly's Store, the chuch, the stone bridge - all immediately recognizable to fans of the show. And these aren't part of a stage set. These are real businesses, real shops with their real names. The greatest mystery to me, though . . . how did they manage to get all those sunny days for filming?
Many of the sights are within yards of each other - Fitzgerald's Pub, Hendly's Store, the chuch, the stone bridge - all immediately recognizable to fans of the show. And these aren't part of a stage set. These are real businesses, real shops with their real names.
The greatest mystery to me, though . . . how did they manage to get all those sunny days for filming?
by Foxboro Marmot on July 30, 2003
Many travellers arriving at Shannon want to start their trip off by immersing themselves in Irish culture... pub culture, that is... and after touring Bunratty Castle and Folk Park some feel a little parched. Bunratty has a number of intersting pubs, but you're unlikely to find anyone Irish in them other than the staff! The pubs are filled with folks who 'flew in today' or 'are heading home tomorrow.' Kathleen's Irish Pub at the Bunratty Castle Hotel is pleasant enough. It's brighter and more open than most pubs, but feels like an Irish pub themed bar you might find at a Holiday Inn back in the US. How does an authentic Irish pub give off the aura that it's an excellent modern reproduction? When someone asks, "Wanna go to the Creamery?" I'm thinking ice cream. Wrong! In Bunratty, it's a neatly restored old stone building. The ground floor, now the pub, was used for stables until being converted to a creamery in 1927. In 1999 it was converted again, this time to a pub, with a restaurant above. The pub plays off the creamery theme with some large leftover metal apparatus - it put me in mind of a brew pub - and bar stools made from milk churns. One very authentic touch: the beer here was served lukewarm, without the slightest trace of a chill. More atmosphere than Kathleens's but still... Mac's Pub is on the grounds of the Bunratty Folk Park. During the day, it's a fine place to stop while strolling the park. The simple two room building was moved to Bunratty from a small village where it was threatened with demolition. It's cozy, with a dusty feel about it, as if you're going back in time. Evenings, after the park closes, Mac's Pub stays open, with a separate entrance. Unfortunately, most evenings the pub is taken over by a tour bus load of people who shuffle in for dinner. If you manage to get in and push through to the bar the waitstaff is generally so strung out serving dinner that you'll be an afterthought. Mac's feels quite authenic and comfortable - but if there's a tour bus in the car park, pass on by! Durty Nelly's is the prime pub in Bunratty and has been since 1620. The ground floor pub is a warren of small, low ceiling, wood timbered rooms with smoky peat fires. From a balcony, you can sip on your beer and watch the Shannon River flow by or you can move over to picnic tables on the patio for a view of Bunratty Castle, just across the street. Like all of Bunratty's pubs, you'll be hard-pressed to find a local to chat with, but Durty Nelly's has plenty of Irish pub atmosphere to spare... after all, it's been here almost 400 years!
Kathleen's Irish Pub at the Bunratty Castle Hotel is pleasant enough. It's brighter and more open than most pubs, but feels like an Irish pub themed bar you might find at a Holiday Inn back in the US. How does an authentic Irish pub give off the aura that it's an excellent modern reproduction?
When someone asks, "Wanna go to the Creamery?" I'm thinking ice cream. Wrong! In Bunratty, it's a neatly restored old stone building. The ground floor, now the pub, was used for stables until being converted to a creamery in 1927. In 1999 it was converted again, this time to a pub, with a restaurant above. The pub plays off the creamery theme with some large leftover metal apparatus - it put me in mind of a brew pub - and bar stools made from milk churns. One very authentic touch: the beer here was served lukewarm, without the slightest trace of a chill. More atmosphere than Kathleens's but still...
Mac's Pub is on the grounds of the Bunratty Folk Park. During the day, it's a fine place to stop while strolling the park. The simple two room building was moved to Bunratty from a small village where it was threatened with demolition. It's cozy, with a dusty feel about it, as if you're going back in time. Evenings, after the park closes, Mac's Pub stays open, with a separate entrance. Unfortunately, most evenings the pub is taken over by a tour bus load of people who shuffle in for dinner. If you manage to get in and push through to the bar the waitstaff is generally so strung out serving dinner that you'll be an afterthought. Mac's feels quite authenic and comfortable - but if there's a tour bus in the car park, pass on by!
Durty Nelly's is the prime pub in Bunratty and has been since 1620. The ground floor pub is a warren of small, low ceiling, wood timbered rooms with smoky peat fires. From a balcony, you can sip on your beer and watch the Shannon River flow by or you can move over to picnic tables on the patio for a view of Bunratty Castle, just across the street. Like all of Bunratty's pubs, you'll be hard-pressed to find a local to chat with, but Durty Nelly's has plenty of Irish pub atmosphere to spare... after all, it's been here almost 400 years!
http://www.igougo.com/journal-j22725-Dublin-Shannon_to_Dublin_and_Back.html
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