I thought my headaches were caused by caffeine withdrawal — it was a brain tumour

Loretta Kennedy put her constant headaches down to caffeine withdrawal or not getting enough fresh air— until she had a seizure and needed emergency care

Loretta Kennedy, at home in Glanmire, spent six weeks in hospital. Picture: David Creedon

Cork woman Loretta Kennedy was thriving in 2024 when she first started experiencing “banging headaches”. She had sold her business, Mama Bear Foods, to Ballymaloe Foods and started a coaching business.

“I just kept having these really bad headaches,” she recalls. “I joked, saying if I ever wrote a book, it would be called, ‘I’ve Got a Banging Headache’.