Netflix’s House of Guinness Ignores Dark Legacy of Family Rivalry

A new series titled House of Guinness is set to premiere on September 25, 2023, but it has drawn criticism for its omission of key historical facts about the Guinness family’s rise to power. The Netflix show, which begins in Ireland, focuses on the life of Benjamin Lee Guinness, the grandson of brewing pioneer Arthur Guinness. Critics argue that it glosses over the family’s ruthless tactics in eliminating competitors during the aftermath of The Famine.

The series opens in 1868, the year of Benjamin’s death, and centers on his significant role in transforming the Guinness brand into a global leader. However, it overlooks the earlier generations, including Arthur and his son, also named Arthur, who shaped the company’s aggressive business strategies. Fiona Fitzsimons, a prominent genealogist at the Irish Family History Centre of the EPIC museum, noted that the show’s narrative fails to address the family’s plutocratic nature and the brutal competition they faced.

Fitzsimons emphasized that the Guinness family adopted a strategy of undercutting rival breweries to gain market share after The Famine. This approach allowed them to effectively push smaller family-run breweries out of business and acquire their operations. She remarked, “If you drive through modern Dublin now, from Thomas Street to James’ Street, all of that was breweries, going all the way down to the River Liffey.”

The Guinness brand, founded in 1759 when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for the St. James’s Gate Brewery, grew rapidly under Benjamin’s leadership. By the late 19th century, the brewery became the largest in Ireland and eventually the world. Fitzsimons compared the business tactics of the Guinness family to modern practices, stating, “It’s kind of like Microsoft… Sell your product cheaper than everybody else, then push them out, and basically then hire all their best software engineers.”

Despite the company’s monumental impact on the brewing industry, Fitzsimons noted that these darker aspects of its history are not highlighted at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. The omission raises questions about how historical narratives are shaped in popular culture.

As the launch of House of Guinness approaches, it remains to be seen how viewers will respond to this portrayal of one of Ireland’s most iconic families. The series, part of Netflix’s growing catalogue of historical dramas, may inspire interest in the Guinness legacy, but its uncritical approach could also foster misconceptions about the family’s business practices during a pivotal time in Irish history.