JK Brackens GAA Club

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JK Brackens GAA Clubmap

JK Brackens is a Gaelic Athletic Association club serving the parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea in County Tipperary, Ireland.

Quick Facts Founded:, County: ...
JK Brackens GAA Club, Templemore
SC Breacháin
Founded:1992
County:Tipperary
Colours:Black and White
Grounds:Páirc Shíleáin
Coordinates:52°47′56.50″N 7°50′08.68″W
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Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Munster
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Tipperary
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Football: - - 2
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Páirc Shíleáin in Templemore

JK Brackens compete in the county Tipperary GAA and Mid-Tipperary divisional competitions and is one of only two clubs in Tipperary that consistently complete at senior level in both the hurling and gaelic football. The club is also nationally renowned as one of the country's leading GAA Scór clubs. Currently, the club fields 21 teams from under 6 up to senior grades and has approximately 250 playing members.

The club is named after Joseph Kevin Bracken, "the radical stonemason from Templemore", who was one of the seven founding members of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884.[1] Furthermore, Bracken was the first Chairman of the Tipperary County Board,[2] he served as vice-president of the GAA, and of the original seven signatories, he was the longest serving member on the GAA national executive. He was an elected representative and chairman of Templemore Urban District Council, and was a member of the oath-bound republican organisation the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood)

JK Brackens GAA club is one of only three GAA clubs to be named after both a founding member of the GAA, and a local parishioner.[citation needed]

History

Early Parish GAA – 1884-1980

The Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in Thurles on 1 November 1884 less than 14 kilometers from Templemore Town with prominent local resident Joseph Kevin Bracken one of the seven founding signatories. Bracken was a well known Parnellite, IRB affiliate and 'champion athlete' according to reports. These factors were possible reasons for Brackens invitation as a 'representative Irishman'.

Brackens prominenence within the fledgling organisation influenced early formation of local GAA clubs, Templemore in 1886 with Killea, College Hill and Clonmore clubs formed soon after. The first recorded silverware claimed by a local selection was in Dublin on June 14, 1886, where the Templemore footballers played Faugh-a-Ballaghs with the Tipperary men claiming the cup and 21 Celtic Crosses. In 1887 Templemore represented Tipperary in the first All Ireland Football Championship defeating Commercials of Limerick in the first round on a scoreline of 9 points to 3. However an objection was raised to this result and a rematch was ordered. A depleated Templemore team lost the refixture on a scoreline of 1-9 to 4 and the Limerick side went on to win the inaugural All Ireland Football championship.

Divisional honours were first achieved in 1909 when the Templemore Grattan Football Club won a North title, followed by Templemore Éire Óg claiming 12 Mid Football crowns from 1913 to 1964. During this period Éire Óg added 2 County Football Championships in 1925 (defeating Fethard 1-04 to 1-01), and in 1936 (defeating Arravale Rovers 2-05 to 1-06). Hurling was also to the fore during this period with Killea winning Mid Junior and Intermediate titles in '27 and '31 respectively, and a Senior Mid crown in '28 (a Castlininey amalgamation), and Clonmore claiming Mid Junior Hurling honours in 1931. Other Junior Hurling crowns of honourable mention were Collegehill victory in 1954 and Templemore Kickhams title in 1961.

In the early sixties Templemore joined forces with Drom at Minor level as Na Fianna winning 3 divisional hurling titles in '61, '62, '63 plus Mid football in '62, however the most significant year at underage (prior to the formation of the Brackens club) was in 1973 with Templemore Éire Óg claiming a first Minor A Football County Championship.

Pre-Formation Era – 1980-1992

The introduction of the “one club one parish” rule in 1961 saw rural GAA clubs amalgamate to single parish clubs, however up until 1992 the Templemore parish maintained a disjointed approach to club GAA with the Éire Óg Club represented the area in football, Clonmore in intermediate hurling and the Killea club for junior hurling. Nonetheless as the GAA Centinary approached, local consensus grew for a more unified one parish club and throughout the decade prior to the club's formation, combined parish teams were entered in various competitions.

In 1980 Clonmore and Killea amalgamated as Clonmore / Killea and enter hurling teams competing at junior, intermediate and senior levels. This arrangement continued until the GAA centenary year of '84 when Clonmore and Killea agreed to enter Junior and Intermediate competitions as single clubs but competed as one club at senior level, and it was under the name of JK Brackens that this group played as. The following year JK Brackens competed at Minor and Under 21 hurling only, however in ’86 and ‘87 the Brackens represented the parish at senior grade once more. A senior JK Brackens selection did not feature in 1988 as Clonmore had won promotion to senior ranks by virtue of winning the County Intermediate Huring Championship of 1987. Instead ‘The Brackens’ were represented at minor and under 21 grades only, and it was at these grades that JK Brackens claimed their first silverware, winning Mid Minor B and Mid Under 21 B hurling titles in 1989 and 1990 respectively.

The period from ‘79 to ‘91 was up to that point the most successful period for hurling in the parish, with Killea winning Junior A Mid titles in ‘89 and ‘91, (their first silverware since 1928), Clonmore winning Intermediate Mid title in ’79, ’84, ’86 and Mid and County honours in 1987. Add to this Minor and Under 21 B titles in ‘89 and ‘91 for the JK Brackens selection, the case for a single GAA club for the parish grew strong impedes with the common consensus amongst players and local club officials was that to compete and develop Gaelic Games locally, that a ‘one parish, one club’ approach should be adopted. It was also believed that Gaelic football in the parish would benefit from the inclusion of Templemore Éire Óg in a Clonmore Killea partnership.

Foundation to Present Day

In 1991, the three GAA clubs of the parish approached the county board seeking assistance to oversee the amalgamation process. Following a lengthy exercise in which county board appointees visited the parish on over a dozen occasions, the three clubs democratically voted their clubs out of existence for a 5-year period, and backed the formation of a single club. One of the most influencing factors in this decision was the voice of the playing members of the clubs, who voted by 56 to 3 in favour of an amalgamation.

In February 1992, at a special convention in Páirc Shíleáin, the attendance of close to 150 members of the three clubs, gave their overwhelming support to the new venture, and the JK Brackens GAA club was officially formed merging the former GAA clubs of Templemore Éire Óg, Clonmore GAA and Killea GAA, and thereafter was ratified by Mid and County Boards, and by Croke Park for a five-year period. In 1997 some members of the Killea GAA club decided to leave the partnership and reform into their old entity however many player from that catchment area decided to continue to play under the Brackens flag.

The newly formed Club was an immediate success with the Intermediate footballer and hurlers both winning Mid championships in ‘92 and there were numerous titles at Minor, U16, U14 and U12 levels. The footballers repeated their achievement in ’93 and also added county honours, thus winning promotion to senior ranks where they have remained since. The Mid Intermediate Hurling championship was ultra-competitive at this time and included teams such as Drom-Inch GAA and Upperchurch-Drombane GAA. JK Brackens had to wait until ’96 and ’97 for further Intermediate titles to add to the trophy cabinet. ‘Brackens lost two successive county finals in both of these years however they won promotion to senior level by virtue of winning two divisional crowns in a row, and have subsequently competed at senior grade since.

1997 was also the year that the 'Brackens won their first county hurling title winning the Under 21 B championship[3] in a side captained by Eamonn Corcoran. Further B hurling county titles were claimed in 2002 and 2004 at U21 and Minor levels respectively. The club had to wait until 2002 for their first title at senior level, winning the Mid Senior Football Championship, the first parish side to claim the trophy in 38 years. They have subsequently won the title 6 times since the turn of the millennium thus breaking the dominance of Loughmore-Castleiney GAA. Brackens won their title in senior hurling silverware winning the Cahill Cup in ’07 and ’08,[4] and they won their first county titles at senior level in 2005 and 2006, winning the Tipperary Division 1 Football League, the former year a first senior county title for the parish in 69 years.

In 2016, JK Brackens GAA and Killea GAA agreed to join forces at minor and under 21 levels under the name JK Brackens Óg. In effect, this arrangement extended the agreed structures of the juvenile club up to 21 years of age, and therefore the teams had the full pick of the parish while players were free able to represent their own half at the parish at adult hurling. This agreement also facilitated players from Killea to play football with Brackens at Junior and Senior grades, as their club had no affiliated Gaelic football teams. The foresight of both clubs proved an instant success when the Brackens Óg line-up completed a historic double, winning the Mid Minor A football crown and the parishes first Minor A hurling title[5] in a squad that boosted 3 members of the All-Ireland winning minor team of that year.

JKB Óg created further history in 2018 capturing the Minor[6] and Under 21 A[7] county titles becoming only the 6th Tipperary club to complete this remarkable double, and also bridged a parish gap of 45 years since a last A county title.

Honours

  • Mid Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship: (1)
    • JK Brackens: 2022[8]
  • Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Roinn II - Séamus Ó Riain Cup: (1)
  • Tipperary Senior Football champions: (2)
    • Templemore Éire Óg: 1925, 1936
  • Mid Tipperary Senior Football Championship: (19)
    • Templemore Éire Óg: 1913, 1916, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1963, 1964
    • JK Brackens: 2002, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014,[10] 2019, 2022[11]
  • North Tipperary Senior Football Championship: (1)
    • Templemore: 1909
  • County Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship: (1)
    • Clonmore: 1987
  • Mid Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship: (7) 
    • Clonmore: 1979, 1984, 1986, 1987 
    • JK Brackens: 1992, 1996, 1997
  • Tipperary Intermediate Football Championship: (1)
    • 1993
  • Mid Tipperary Intermediate Football Championship: (5)
    • Templemore Éire Óg: 1982
    • JK Brackens: 1992, 1993, 2002, 2023
  • Mid Tipperary Junior A Hurling Championship: (10) 
    • Clonmore: 1932, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1978 
    • Collegehill: 1954 
    • Templemore Kickhams: 1961 
    • JK Brackens: 1997, 1998, 2023
  • Tipperary Junior A Football Championship: (3)
    • Templemore Éire Óg: 1957, 1972
    • JK Brackens: 2018[12]
  • Mid Tipperary Junior A Football Championship: (13)
    • Templemore Éire Óg: 1916, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1957, 1960, 1972
    • JK Brackens: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2018
  • Mid Tipperary Junior B Hurling Championship: (2)
  • Tipperary Junior B Football Championship: (1)
    • 2003
  • Mid Tipperary Junior B Football Championship: (2)
    • 2003, 2007
  • Tipperary Under-21 B Hurling Championship: (2)
  • Mid Tipperary Under-21 B Hurling Championship: (6) 
    • Templemore Brackens: 1990
    • JK Brackens: 1993, 1997, 2002, 2009, 2014
  • Tipperary Under-21 A Football Championship: (2)
    • 2018*, 2019*
  • Mid Tipperary Under-21 A Football Championship: (13) 
    • Templemore Éire Óg: 1971, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
    • JK Brackens: 1998, 2008, 2014, 2017*, 2018*, 2019*, 2023*
  • Mid Tipperary Under-19 A Football Championship: (2)
    • 2021*, 2023*
  • Mid Tipperary Minor A Hurling Championship: (4) 
    • Na Fianna: 1961, 1962, 1963
    • JK Brackens: 2016*
  • Tipperary Minor B Hurling Championship: (1)
    • 2004
  • Mid Tipperary Minor B Hurling Championship: (3) 
    • Templemore Brackens: 1990
    • JK Brackens: 2004, 2012
  • Tipperary Minor A Football Championship: (3)
    • Templemore Éire Óg: 1973
    • JK Brackens: 2018* [15]
  • Mid Tipperary Minor A Football Championship: (28) 
    • Templemore Éire Óg: 1950, 1951, 1952, 1958, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 
    • Na Fianna: 1962 
    • JK Brackens: 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2016*, 2017*, 2018*

Note: * JK Brackens Óg

Notable players

This lists outlines current or former JK Brackens players that have represented and won provincial or national honours with Tipperary. Further information on parish and club players who have represented Tipperary County teams throughout the years can be seen on this page http://www.tippgaaarchives.com/?page_id=14

More information Player, Tipperary Teams Represented ...
Player Tipperary Teams Represented Honours Won Notes
Brendan Bane Minor Football 1986

U21 Hurling 1989, 1990

Junior Hurling 1988, 1991, 1992

Munster U21 Hurling 1989, 1990

All-Ireland U21 Hurling 1989

Munster Junior Hurling 1988, 1991

All-Ireland Junior Hurling 1991

John Bane Minor Football 1995 Munster Minor Football 1995
Martin Bohan Minor Football 1968

Masters Hurling 1994, 1996

Munster Masters Hurling 1994, 1996

All-Ireland Masters Hurling 1994, 1996

David Bourke U21 Football 1998

Junior Football 1998

Intermediate Hurling 1998

Munster Junior Football 1998

All-Ireland Junior Football 1998

Bourke has also won an All-Ireland Championship with the London Hurlers in the 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup, alongside former Bracken's player Paul Doyle[16]

Bourke also has won a Fitgibbon Cup medal with WIT in 2000

Martin Bourke Junior Hurling 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992

Masters Hurling 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

Munster Junior Hurling 1985, 1988

Munster Masters Hurling 2000, 2001, 2003

All-Ireland Masters Hurling 2000, 2001, 2003

Bourke became the first player from the parish to captain a Tipperary side to honours in the 1988 Munster Junior Hurling Final

Bourke was captain when Templemore CBS won its first Harty Cup and Dr. Croke Cup (All Ireland Schools A hurling) in 1978[17]

Seamus Bourke Minor Hurling 1975

U21 Hurling 1977, 1978

Senior Hurling 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983

Junior Hurling 1985, 1987, 1988

Masters Hurling 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

Munster U21 Hurling 1978

Munster Junior Hurling 1985, 1988

Munster Masters Hurling 2000, 2001

All-Ireland Masters Hurling 2000, 2001

Bourke was part of the UCD Fitzgibbon Cup winning teams of 1978 and 1979
Shane Bourke Minor Hurling 2006

U21 Hurling 2008, 2009

Senior Hurling 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2006

Munster U21 Hurling 2008

Munster Senior Hurling 2011, 2012, 2015

Bourke was part of the UCC Fitzgibbon Cup winning teams of 2009 and 2012, captaining the 2012 team[18]
Paddy Cadell Minor Hurling 2016, 2017

U21 Hurling 2018

U20 Hurling 2019

Senior Hurling 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Munster Minor Hurling 2016

All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2016

All-Ireland U21 Hurling 2018

Munster U20 Hurling 2019

All-Ireland U20 Hurling 2019

All-Ireland Senior Hurling 2019

Cadell captained the victorious Our Lady's Templemore Harty[19] and Croke Cup [20] teams (All-Ireland A Schools) of 2017

Cadell was selected captain of the 2017 Tipperary minor hurling panel

Cadell was part of the UCC Fitzgibbon Cup winning teams of 2019 and 2020

Cadell is one of only three GAA players to hold All-Ireland hurling medals at Minor, U20, U21 and Senior levels, and has a distinct record of All-Ireland medals at 6 different grades

Jim Cahill Minor Hurling 1985, 1986

Minor Football 1986

U21 Hurling 1989

U21 Football 1987, 1988, 1989

Junior Hurling 1992, 1993

Munster U21 Hurling 1989

All-Ireland U21 Hurling 1989

Sean Collum Minor Hurling 1989, 1990

Minor Football 1989, 1990

U21 Hurling 1992, 1993

U21 Football 1992, 1993

Junior Hurling 1995, 1996

Intermediate Hurling 1997

Senior Football 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

Senior Football Tommy Murphy Cup 2005

All-Ireland Senior B Football 1995

Collum captained the 1993 Tipperary Senior football team to their first appearance in a Munster final in 49 years

Collum coached the victories UCD Fitzgibbon Cup team of 2001[21]

Éamonn Corcoran Minor Hurling 1995

U21 Hurling 1997, 1998

Intermediate Hurling 1997, 1998

Senior Hurling 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

Munster Senior Hurling 2001, 2009

All-Ireland Senior Hurling 2001

National Hurling League 1999, 2001, 2008

Corcoran was the club's first senior All-Ireland winner since its foundation

He is the club's only All Star, he was selected at right wing back on the 2001 team[22]

Corcoran has won 2 Fitzgibbon Cups with WIT in 1999 and 2000, and was awarded the Player of the Tournament for both years

Pa Delaney Junior Hurling 1988 Munster Junior Hurling 1988
Ian Delaney Minor Hurling 2003, 2004

U21 Hurling 2006, 2007

Munster Minor Hurling 2003

U21 Munster Hurling 2006

Delaney was a member of the Roscommon senior hurling team that won the 2015 Nicky Rackard Cup[23]
Aidan Doyle Minor Hurling 1996

Minor Football 1996

U21 Hurling 1998

Intermediate Hurling 1998

Munster Minor Hurling 1996

All-Ireland Minor Hurling 1996

Doyle was man of the match in the drawn All-Ireland final scoring 4 points from play
Lyndon Fairbrother Minor Hurling 2015, 2016

U21 Hurling 2017, 2018

Munster Minor Hurling 2015, 2016

All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2016

All-Ireland U21 Hurling 2018

Fairbrother was awarded the 2015 Young Hurler of the Year by the Munster Council[24]

Fairbrother was a member of the victorious Our Lady's Templemore Harty[25] and Croke Cup [26] teams (All-Ireland A Schools) of 2017

Tomas Hamill*** Minor Hurling 2011, 2012

U21 Hurling 2013, 2014, 2015

Senior Hurling 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017

Munster Minor Hurling 2012

All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2012

Munster Senior Hurling 2015, 2016

All-Ireland Senior Hurling 2016

Hamill represented JK Brackens at juvenile level only. At senior club level he represented Killea from 2011 to 2013, transferring to Moyne Templetouhy in 2014

Hamill also has won a Fitzgibbon Cup with WIT in 2014

Declan Lynagh Minor Football 2007

U21 Football 2010

Munster U21 Football 2010
Dean McEnroe Minor Football 2012

U21 Football 2014, 2015

Junior Football 2014, 2015

Senior Football 2019, 2020

Munster Minor Football 2012

Munster U21 Football 2015

Munster Senior Football 2020

Kevin Mulryan Minor Hurling 1998, 1999

Minor Football 1998, 1999

U21 Hurling 2001, 2002

U21 Football 2000, 2001, 2002

Junior Football 2000

Senior Football 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Munster Minor Hurling 1999

Senior Football Tommy Murphy Cup 2005

National Football League Division 3 2009

Mulryan was a selector over the victorious Tipperary Minor Football panel which won Munster honours in 2012
Tom Murphy Minor Hurling 2015, 2016 Munster Minor Hurling 2015, 2016

All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2016

Alan O'Riordan Minor Football 2011

Junior Football 2015

Munster Minor Football 2011

All-Ireland Minor Football 2011

Colin O'Riordan Minor Hurling 2012, 2013

Minor Football 2011, 2012, 2013

U21 Hurling 2013, 2014, 2015

U21 Football 2014, 2015

Senior Hurling 2014

Senior Football 2014, 2015, 2020

Munster Minor Football 2011, 2012

All-Ireland Minor Football 2011

All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2012

Munster U21 Football 2015

National Football League Division 4 2014

Munster Senior Football 2020

O'Riordan became the second clubman to captain a victories Tipperary side when he led the U21 footballers to the 2015 Munster Championship

He was only 15 when he won an All-Ireland Minor Football title

O'Riordan has been nominated on the GAA All-Star Football team in 2014[27] and 2020

He was vote GAA U21 Player of the Year in 2015 [28]

In 2015, O'Riordan was signed by the Australian Rules Football team Sydney Swans where currently plays [29]

Kevin O'Riordan Minor Football 2007, 2008

U21 Football 2010, 2011

Munster U21 Football 2010
Andrew Ormond Minor Hurling 2017

U20 Hurling 2019, 2020

Munster U20 Hurling 2019

All-Ireland U20 Hurling 2019

Ormond was a member of the victorious Our Lady's Templemore Harty[30] and Croke Cup [31] teams (All-Ireland A Schools) of 2017
Jamie Ormond Minor Hurling 2022, 2023 Munster Minor Hurling 2022

All-Ireland Minor Hurling 2022

Ormond was the Tipperary team captain for 2023 Munster Minor Hurling Championship.
Darren Owens Minor Football 1995

U21 Football 1996

Munster Minor Football 1995 Owens scored the winning goal in the Munster minor decider of 1995
Close

Note: *** Represented JK Brackens at juvenile level only

GAA Scór

JK Brackens places a substantial emphases on the cultural aspects of the GAA and has become one of the county's leading Scór clubs gaining recognition nationally. This arm of the club is centered in Clonmore village where these activities are given the same level of credence as on the field activities.

Recent significant successes include Scór Sinsear Set Dancing Munster titles in 2013 & 2017 and an All-Ireland title in 2013.[32] Furthermore, Clonmore man Noel Joyce has won treble Munster and All-Ireland Scór titles in 2013,[33] 2015 and 2017[34] in the Recitation competition. Additionally, in 2015 Noel coached Ciarán Byrne to claim Scór na nÓg Munster and All-Ireland awards.[35]

Playing Fields

Páirc Shíleáin

Páirc Shíleáin (referred loccaly as "The Park") is the home grounds for the JK Brackens GAA club, is located in the Town Park area of Templemore Town. The pitch was first levelled, sodded and enclosed by local Templemore GAA volunteers in 1924 but this tenancy was initially a turbulent one and involved many strict conditions from landlords Templemore UDC, including no training, a fee per match played and ground sharing with the newly formed Templemore RFC. A suitable agreement was eventually reached between Templemore GAA and the Urban Council in ’53 and the venue was officially opened on 8 May 1955 when the Tipperary played Wexford in a senior hurling tournament. On that occasion the grounds were dedicated to St. Sileann, the patron saint of Templemore.

Tipperary hosted the Kilkenny hurlers on 28 May 1980 marking the officially opening of the clubhouse, The Carroll and Grant Pavilion, named in memory of two local Gaels, Arthur Carroll and Bill Grant who both won All-Ireland football medals with Tipperary in 1920, (it was also this duo who represented the club to first mark out the club grounds when acquired from the council in 1924). A spectator stand was completed in 1994, Tipperary beating Dublin in a hurling challenge on that occasion.

Since the club's foundation, Páirc Shíleáin has been the club's home ground for training and matches for both senior and juvenile clubs. Over these years several additional facilities have been added such as a spectator stand extension, a clubhouse extension, electronic scoreboard, hurling wall with an additional training area

Graffin Sportsfield

Originally the home of Clonmore GAA club, Graffin is used as the club's second pitch for training and occasionally for home games, and it is also rented out to the Knock GAA club for that club's junior B hurling team. Located in the townsland of Graffin directly 1.5 kilometres north of Clonmore village, the grounds were first acquired in 1927, it was levelled and re-sodded in 1987 with the dressing rooms built and open in 1988. During the 1970 and ‘80s the Clonmore club often trained in Templemore as the village field could not handle the increased activity during this period.[citation needed]

References

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