With campaigning for the Same Sex Marriage Referendum now entering its final week, Henry McKean travelled to Donegal in order to find out how people are voting there.

While there he spoke with Rita Doherty, whose son Alan, who was gay, took his own life. Alan struggled to come to terms with his sexuality and his mother told the heartbreaking story.

She told Henry that the death of her son was "truly like a nuclear bomb going off" and went on to say that her last memory of Alan was "so strained".

"When he hurt, I hurt terribly and I mean that, I hurt terribly, that anyone would belittle my child in any way.

"He said on his last letter to us... he said that being gay has all but ruined my life."

Rita also went on to say that she wants to see a 'Yes' vote in the upcoming referendum: "I know, as a mother, from the bottom of my heart, that Alan, god bless him, this would have been something he would have loved.

"I would love if this goes through because I don't want to think about the consequences, I don't want to hear of any more suicides related to it. My father always said, use your vote, there's plenty of countries who don't even get to vote and this is a very big important one. And it's a yes. 

"That would bring respect for the children that are still in school, self-conscious and know they're a bit different, that it's ok. You're just like the rest of us really. It's not taking away from marriage in any sense."

You can listen to her full interview here: 

 If you were affected by anything in that report you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or samaritans.org