Even if you aren’t a beer drinker, you surely know about Guinness if you have an interest in Irish culture. The brewery at St. James Gate on the River Liffey quays in Dublin is a must-see tourist destination, and the iconic harp logo appears on all sorts of Irish gifts. And now Guinness is making another splash in Ireland’s capital where a cast of beloved and rising Irish talent is filming a new series for Netflix – The House of Guinness.
Stephen Knight, the British director, producer and writer who brought us Peaky Blinders and Dirty Pretty Things, is the force behind the new series. The cast includes Jack Gleeson and Michael McElhatton ( both from Game of Thrones), Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air), Emily Fairn (Black Mirror: Demon 79), Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes), Niamh McCormack (Everything Now) and many other impressive actors.
The Family Behind The Stout
The series starts a few generations after the establishment of the famous brewery by Arthur Guinness in 1759. The story of Arthur using his inheritance, skills learned from his father and his own incredible business savvy to secure a 9,000 year lease and open the brewery that became a landmark is well documented. Knight apparently wanted to do something by delving into a different era of the saga.
This story starts with the death of his descendant Benjamin Guiness, who was once the richest man in Ireland. He served as Lord Mayor of Dublin and represented Dublin City in the House of Commons. (This was long before Ireland’s independence from Britain.) Benjamin was a philanthropist as well as a shrewd businessman, and he was rewarded with a baronetcy. He personally funded the restoration of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. The series focuses on Benjamin’s four children Arthur, Edward, Anne and Ben. (Brace yourself for some confusion because like many Irish families, the Guinness family was fond of reusing the same handful of names.)
Arthur inherited his baronetcy, and he and Edward took over the brewery when their father Benjamin died. The third son, Ben, moved to England and joined the Royal Horse Guards. Anne married Baron William Plunkett and followed in her father’s philanthropic footsteps, making a name for herself focusing on helping the poor and sick who lived near St Patrick’s Cathedral. She provided medical supplies and established a care home that became a training center for nurses.
Guinness Today: Beyond Beer to Tourism and Iconic Irish Gifts
The Guinness brand has an incredible history, and it will be fun to learn more about it via an exciting drama series. It sounds like we can look forward to many cozy evenings on the couch with a pint of something hooked on this show watching for familiar Dublin streets. Whatever you’re sipping, you can get into the spirit of things with a Guinness pint glass or mug. And honestly, we’d love to go to a Guinness themed viewing party wearing our Guinness branded gear and snacking on some of the intriguing Guinness-based recipes out there – especially the chocolate and Guinness ones!