John Hely-Hutchinson, 7th Earl of Donoughmore

Who was John Hely-Hutchinson, 7th Earl of Donoughmore?

John Michael Henry Hely-Hutchinson, 7th Earl of Donoughmore, known until 1948 by his courtesy title Viscount Suirdale, was a British politician who later sat as a hereditary peer in the House of Lords.

Donoughmore is perhaps most famous for being kidnapped from Knocklofty House, Clonmel, in June 1974, with his wife Dorothy by the IRA as a political hostage, being released after a week.

Lord Donoughmore was the son of Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 6th Earl of Donoughmore. He was Member of Parliament for Peterborough from 1943–1945. In 1948 he succeeded to all his father's peerages. In the military Donoughmore gained the rank of Colonel in the service of the Royal Armoured Corps. He was chosen Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1964, a post he held until his death.