Inquest into death of bullied 13-year-old Erin Gallagher

The final days of tragic Donegal teenager Erin Gallagher are to be revealed after a date was set for the inquest into her sudden death.

Erin was just 13 when she took her own life in Ballybofey in October 2012. Tragically her sister Shannon, then aged just 15, also took her life just six weeks later.

The sisters’ shocking sudden deaths led to a huge outpouring of grief across the country at the time.

The girls’ mother Lorraine had claimed at the time that Erin was being bullied on the Ask.fm social media site and that she had mentioned this in her suicide note.

Lorraine later demanded that the website be shut down to prevent other young girls being bullied online.

She said: “I want Ask.fm to shut down because I don’t want to turn on the TV again and see that another kid has killed herself because they have been bullied on Ask.fm

“I asked myself questions. You just go around in a circle because with suicide you have no answers.”

She said her daughter had written in a note: “I’m sorry I have to do this but I’m fed up of the bullying.”

“She named Ask.fm,” she added.

Ms Gallagher said her eldest daughter had missed Erin and left a suicide note inside a Christmas present she had bought for her mum.

As well as medical personnel, Lorraine will also give evidence into her daughter’s death.

The new inquest has been set for August 17.