DOWNTON Abbey star Michelle Dockery has bid a final farewell to her Irish fiancé following his death from cancer.
John Dineen, who would have turned 35 on Thursday, was laid to rest following a private funeral service at St James Church in Ballinora, the rural parish in the outskirts of Cork city where he grew up.
In a moving tribute from the altar on Wednesday, a black-clad Ms Dockery described her fiancé as “my hero, my king, my everything”.
She had been at her partner’s bedside when he lost his battle to an aggressive form of cancer at Marymount Hospice in Cork on Sunday.
The heartbroken actress is understood to have stayed with Mr Dineen’s parents Patrick and Marie at their family farm in Waterfall to comfort them in the days after their devastating bereavement.
She also remained by their side when Mr Dineen was waked at his childhood home before his removal to the church on Tuesday evening, where parish priest Fr Declan Mansfield said prayers, speaking of the community’s “deep loss”.
Ms Dockery’s cast members on the ITV period drama, which airs is final episode on Christmas Day, have already reached out to the actress.
Elizebeth McGovern, who plays the on-screen mother of her character Lady Mary Crawley, told TV presenter Lorraine Kelly on Wednesday that she was “sure” that the star would appreciate the outpouring of support from the public since news of her fiancé’s death broke on Tuesday.
Ms Dockery, who also turned 34 on Tuesday, had always remained reticent about speaking publicly about her relationship with the Cork man, who studied in UCC and UCD before landing a job at FTI Consulting in London.
However, she told an interviewer last year: “I have a wonderful man in my life from Ireland. We were introduced by [Downton co-star and Dubliner] Allen Leech. That’s all you need to know.”
She had also described Mr Dineen as a “wonderful man…from Ireland".
However, the couple’s happiness was marred when they discovered several months ago that Mr Dineen was suffering from a rare form of cancer.
He reportedly travelled to Germany to undergo pioneering treatment but returned to his parent’s home this summer where he remained until entering Marymount Hospice.
Ms Dockery managed to keep her partner’s illness out of the media, offering no explanation offered when she pulled out of a West End play in October.
Just days before she arrived in Ireland, the star had been in the United States appearing on chat shows alongside other Downton cast members to plug the finale.
However, she cut short the trip when Mr Dineen’s condition worsened, flying into Heathrow before quietly travelling to Cork to be at his side.
In a statement, FTI Consulting said the Irishman had been an “immensely valued colleague and friend” who would “be sorely missed”.
Both Mr Dineen’s family and former firm have appealed for privacy.
