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Double Take: Have you seen these 'Headache Well' signs in north Tipperary?

Here’s why they’re there. (And why we could all do with one.)

EVER WISH THERE was some magic way to get rid of your headache that didn’t involve popping a painkiller? You might be in luck.

Welcome to Terryglass, a picturesque village tucked away in north Tipperary. Situated on the shore of Lough Derg, it’s home to holiday homes, an annual arts festival and a beloved local pub in the form of Paddy’s Bar.

The village boasts a rich history with a monastery having been founded on the site in 549 AD by Columba of Terryglass, one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. Among the relics left behind from this time are two holy wells. Like many ancient holy wells in Ireland, both were once purported to have healing properties.

First of all, there is St Augh’s Eye Well. As the name suggests, its water is said to help those afflicted with ailments of the eye with rituals performed at the well every Saturday in May. More amusing, however, is St Columb’s Headache Well, signs for which are dotted around the village.

According to an old testimony preserved by UCD’s National Folklore Collection, the well is so-called because it is said that people had their headaches cured by praying at the well and washing their face in its water.

The holy well known as St Columb’s is situated within the monastic grounds. It is known locally as the headache well from the fact that when prayers are recited at it and the face or head then washed, cures were brought about. It is still treated with reverence, but few rounds if any are performed there at the present day.

It may not be in use anymore, but it nonetheless remains a local curiosity with the signs alone enough to pique the interest of visitors.

If only we all had our own little headache well, eh?

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    Mute John Manahan
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:18 AM

    Never heard of them.

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    Mute Christopher Duffin
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:16 AM

    While competition is good, there are far too many mobile companies in such a small country.

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    Mute Jayniemac
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:22 AM

    Same as, I’ve never heard of them!

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    Mute Jamie Murphy
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:17 AM

    So are the phones they sold unlocked? if not are they going to give unlock codes out?

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    Mute Michele Neylon
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:32 AM

    If they’re not unlocked now they’ll have to unlock them (I think they’re obliged to .. )

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    Mute Jamie Murphy
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:37 AM

    I hope they will make it easy and just text out unlock codes if the phones are not unlocked. My dad is in love with his JCB toughphone. Its been through 9 rounds of the washing machine and still works perfectly!

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    Mute Kathleen O Toole Tighe
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 12:10 PM

    I never even heard of them !

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    Mute jason bourne
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 12:12 PM

    Seems the problem was they didn’t advertise properly or at all considering how few people have even heard of the company

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    Mute Dec Byrne
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 3:26 PM

    @Alan Madden, the reason they were only prepaid at the moment was that you apparently have to have a certain amount of pre paid customers signed up before you can branch out into the ”bill pay” market. I liked thier ad’s but in fairness to them it must be hard to go up against the big boys advertising budgets. Best of luck to them at least they tried, and their money was going back into the communities and charities in Ireland.

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    Mute Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 10:42 PM

    They haven’t filed accounts with CRO yet…since 2007 so I’m sure there’s plenty they haven’t contributed to their communities.

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    Mute Barry
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:57 AM

    Not surprised, I’ve never ever seen them even advertised outside of Dublin.
    Only way I found out about them was some link on boards which showed they had adverts on some buses in Dublin

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    Mute Róisín Áine Nic Dhonnacha
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 12:17 PM

    I hadn’t heard of them either until yesterday evening when someone asked me about a linkedin profile of someone connected to the company.

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    Mute Stepping Stones
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 2:13 PM

    I never herd of them either. Their marketing strategy mustn’t have been great.

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    Mute Daithí Ó'Céileachair
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:25 AM

    Maybe the phones will still work on the Vodafone network even if they are locked.

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    Mute Pat Gallagher
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 12:58 PM

    how were they the only Irish owned network? is Meteor not Irish? I thought view were?

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    Mute Paddy O'Reilly
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 1:26 PM

    Meteor is owned by Eircom, who last I heard was owned by Singapore Technologies Telemedia, but Eircom keeps getting asset stripped and bought & sold,

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    Mute Conor Foley
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 1:26 PM

    Meteor is part of eircom which is in turn (currently) majority owned by STT (Singapore Technologies Telemedia) so its not irish owned

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    Mute Róisín Áine Nic Dhonnacha
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 3:44 PM

    There was an ad?

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    Mute Alan Madden
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    Aug 3rd 2011, 1:26 PM

    @pat – they ‘were’ the only irish owned “pre paid” mobile operator. Bit silly really cos it does appear at first glance that they are the only Irish owned operator here.

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    Mute Eoin Sheehy
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    Aug 4th 2011, 11:37 AM

    I didn’t even hear about them, and once I heard they were closing down I got a look at their website and they’re basically the cheapest, I’m so annoyed!

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