Michelle Dockery Will Say Her Final Goodbye to Fiancé John Dineen at His Funeral in Ireland

Downton Abbey actress bids farewell to deceased partner at international funeral

By Samantha Schnurr Dec 16, 2015 2:12 PMTags
John Dineen, Michelle DockeryDavid M.Benett/Centrepoint/Getty Images for Centrepoint

Michelle Dockery will say her final goodbye to her "wonderful man," fiancé John Dineen

She will bid a final farewell to her former life partner alongside his parents, Maria and Patrick Dineen, and hundreds of mourners during a private funeral service at St. James Church in Ballinora, County Cork, according to reports

At a memorial service held in Dineen's native Ireland on Tuesday evening, the Downton Abbey star mourned the loss of her beloved partner after he passed away at 34 years old from a long-term illness on Sunday. 

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Hours before Dineen's death at Marymount Hospital in Cork, Ireland, Dockery flew from the United States to his homeland to be at his bedside. After his passing, Dockery issued a short statement requesting the utmost discretion.

"The family is very grateful for the support and kindness they have received, but would kindly request that they are left to grieve in private," her rep told E! News. 

The engaged couple, who had been dating since 2013, kept their relationship very much out of the public eye, as the actress seldom spoke of the former FTI Consulting executive during interviews. 

In one particular recent but rare instance, she subtly spoke of her reliance on him while adjusting to her new life in the spotlight.

"You quickly realize that the press can get to you," she told Red in an interview published this month. "I've got people around me who I can turn to for advice: my mum, and my partner, John."

Our thoughts are with Dockery during this difficult time.