--- description: John Dineen, a public relations executive from Ireland, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer earlier this year. title: 'Downton Abbey' Star Michelle Dockery's Fiancé Dies of Cancer at 34 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24b12c047ea2a8da/6988756a0a4a2264ab9c780d/michelle-dockery-fiance-dead-2915.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [remembrance](/tag/remembrance/) ## remembrance Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Downton Abbey_ Star Michelle Dockery's Fiancé Dies of Cancer at 34 by [Philip Boucher and Nicola Bryne / People](/author/people/) ## Philip Boucher and Nicola Bryne / People Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 15, 2015 5:02 PM CUT  Michelle Dockery and John Dineen attend the Winter Whites Gala in aid of Centrepoint at Kensington Palace on Nov. 26, 2013 in London, England. Michelle Dockery and John Dineen attend the Winter Whites Gala in aid of Centrepoint at Kensington Palace on Nov. 26, 2013 in London, England.WireImage / Getty Photos by [Philip Boucher and Nicola Bryne / People](/author/people/) ## Philip Boucher and Nicola Bryne / People Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 15, 2015 5:02 PM CUT [_Downton Abbey_](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,MediaProductsTax:TVDowntonAbbey,00.html "undefined") star [Michelle Dockery](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:MichelleDockery,00.html "undefined") has been left devastated after her Irish fiancé died of a rare form of cancer, PEOPLE has confirmed. Commercial public relations executive John Dineen died on Sunday at the Marymount Hospice in Cork, with Dockery at his bedside. He was just 34. In a statement released through her publicist, Dockery thanked the public for the “support and kindness” the family has received, before adding that she “kindly request that they are left to grieve in private.” Dineen, from Cork, Ireland, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer earlier this year. A senior director at London-based FTI consulting, he is believed to have returned home to Ireland and sought pioneering treatment in Germany following his diagnosis, reports the [Irish Independent](http://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/downton-abbey-star-michelle-dockery-devastated-after-irish-fianc-34-dies-34287955.html "undefined"). The couple started dating in September 2013 after being introduced by _Downton_ co-star [Allen Leech](http://www.people.com/article/downton-abbey-michelle-dockery-allen-leech-kevin-doyle-talk-dan-stevens-reunion-possible-movie "undefined") Despite their best attempts to keep the romance out of the spotlight, Dockery briefly let her guard slip in September 2014, saying: “I have a wonderful man in my life from Ireland.” Marymount hospice where Dineen died on Sunday morning specializes in palliative cancer treatment. Just last week the actress was in the United States to make press appearances for _Downton_‘s final season, before quickly jetting back to the UK to be by Dineen’s side. She was spotted arriving to London’s Heathrow airport on Thursday. Dockery seemed to be in good spirits while visiting [PEOPLE Now](http://www.people.com/article/downton-abbey-cast-memories-maggie-smith-michelle-dockery-allen-leech "undefined"), [_The Late Show with Stephen Colbert_](http://www.people.com/article/downton-abbey-american-accents-stephen-colbert-late-show "undefined") and _Watch What Happens Live_ with some of her cast mates. _This_ [_article_](http://www.people.com/article/michelle-dockery-fiance-dead-at-34 "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_People.com_](http://people.com "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4149466/michelle-dockery-fiance-dead-cancer/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4149466/michelle-dockery-fiance-dead-cancer/"},"headline":"Downton Abbey Star Michelle Dockery's Fiancé Dies of Cancer at 34","datePublished":"2015-12-15T17:02:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T13:23:13.519Z","description":"John Dineen was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer earlier this year","url":"https://time.com/4149466/michelle-dockery-fiance-dead-cancer/","keywords":["remembrance","downton abbey","celebrity"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24b12c047ea2a8da/6988756a0a4a2264ab9c780d/michelle-dockery-fiance-dead-2915.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Philip Boucher and Nicola Bryne / People"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24b12c047ea2a8da/6988756a0a4a2264ab9c780d/michelle-dockery-fiance-dead-2915.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"michelle dockery, john dineen, john dineen dead","caption":"michelle dockery, john dineen, john dineen dead","creditText":"WireImage / Getty Photos","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/remembrance/","name":"remembrance"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4149466/michelle-dockery-fiance-dead-cancer/","name":"Downton Abbey Star Michelle Dockery's Fiancé Dies of Cancer at 34"}}]}] ```