House Of Guinness on Netflix: Heirs, Power and a Brewing Empire in 19th-Century Dublin

House Of Guinness, a Netflix period drama from Steven Knight, drops viewers into Dublin in 1868, where the Guinness beer empire has become a dominant force under the family of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness. The first episode centers on the funeral of the beer magnate and the scramble among his four adult children for who will control the empire he leaves behind.

Outside St. James Gate, protesters—temperance advocates and Irish republicans—crowd the procession, forcing the family and their longtime foreman, Sean Rafferty, to shield the body. Inside the family home at Iveagh House, Arthur, the oldest, has just returned from London convinced the brewery should stay in his hands, while Edward, who has worked the plant's operations from boyhood, pushes a plan to buy it from Arthur for a share of the profits. Anne Plunket, the oldest sister, married to an aristocrat, balances propriety with a sharper instinct for leverage, and Benjamin, the middle son, is beset by gambling and addiction yet has a stubborn appetite for power. As the hearse arrives, the siblings learn the terms of their father's will are not what they expected, setting off a contest that could redefine Dublin's economy and its politics.

As the family navigates the funeral and the immediate aftermath, the conflict between loyalty, money and legacy becomes evident. Sean Rafferty, the foreman who has run the brewery during Sir Benjamin’s life, looms as a wild card—his influence may help determine not only who inherits the empire but how it will be run under a changing political backdrop. The siblings must reckon with the fact that the brewery’s success has long depended on a close, sometimes opaque relationship with the British government and with Dublin’s commercial classes. The first episode uses these pressures to sketch out who the principals are and what they want, as well as who might ally with whom in the months ahead.

Knight frames the drama with a brisk, modern sensibility: the series blends power politics with intimate family dynamics, pairing a historical setting with thriller tempo. The show’s tonal textures are reinforced by a Celtic rock soundtrack that underscores moments of ambition, betrayal and danger, giving the period piece a contemporary energy without sacrificing period detail. The premiere leans into visual richness—draped gowns, stone mansions, coal fires and rain-swept streets—while keeping the focus squarely on the four siblings and the elder generation that built the empire.

At its core, the show asks who deserves to control a family business that is also a national symbol. Arthur, the eldest, embodies a London-educated, old-world leadership style; Edward is the technical operator who knows the brewery from the inside out; Anne is poised and socially adept, using connections to press for advantage; Benjamin is charismatic but volatile, his addictions threatening to derail any plans. Into that mix come Ellen and Patrick Cochrane, siblings of a revolutionary faction, who live at the intersection of family secrets and political risk. Ellen longs to expose the siblings’ vulnerabilities by leveraging their secrets, while Patrick’s faction seeks to disrupt the status quo with direct action. The clash between the brothers and sisters, and between family loyalty and personal ambition, unfolds against a backdrop of rising Irish nationalism and a society that is negotiating its identity with an empire at its doorstep.

The show’s historical framing feels deliberate but flexible. While it draws on the real Guinness family’s prominence in Dublin and beyond, Knight uses fiction to stage a broader conversation about power, economy and empire. The brewery’s success is depicted not just as a commercial triumph but as a lever of influence in a city and a country wrestling with modernization, reform, and the seeds of independence. The first episode thus serves both as a family drama and as a window into a pivotal moment in Irish history, with the brewing business acting as a central engine that drives character decisions and political calculations alike.

The cast brings a range of energies to the material. Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn and Fionn O’Shea portray the siblings with a sense of urgency and ambiguity that suits a story about legacy and risk. Emily Fairn, in particular, stands out as Anne, a woman who navigates the era’s strict social codes while wielding a quiet, practical influence that could tilt the family’s fortunes. Seamus O’Hara’s Patrick Cochrane and Niamh McCormack’s Ellen provide a counterweight to the Guinness clan, illustrating how political fault lines press against every family door.

Critics who previewed the series noted that Knight trusts audiences to infer relationships and stakes rather than overexplaining. The premiere efficiently establishes who these people are and what they want, letting the setting and dynamics convey the broader themes. The production’s visual palette—smoky interiors, rain-soaked streets, gilt-edged interiors—helps sell a world where a single decision can alter a city’s trajectory. Some reviewers also flagged the Celtic-rock score as a potential overwhelm, suggesting the music may need to scale back to let the drama breathe as the season unfolds.

Overall, House Of Guinness arrives as a confident blend of character-driven drama and big-scale historical intrigue. It uses the Guinness name to anchor a story about power, loyalty and the costs of wealth, while inviting comparisons to modern prestige dramas that center family dynasties and corporate empires. The show’s first episode promises a season in which the heirs must decide not only who inherits the empire, but how that empire will behave in a country on the brink of political transformation.

Initial reception centers on the premiere’s momentum and the clarity with which it introduces its principal players. Viewers looking for a lush, multi-character drama with a historical backbone and contemporary sensibilities will likely find the opening sequences engaging. The project’s ambition aligns with a broader trend in which period pieces incorporate modern tonal elements and music to reach new audiences without sacrificing period authenticity. With its strong cast and a premise that ties a beloved brand to a volatile historical moment, the show sets up a compelling arc: the fight to steward a global brand while navigating Ireland’s evolving political landscape.

The series is streaming on Netflix, and early chatter among critics suggests it will appeal to fans of high-stakes family sagas and political intrigue. As the siblings confront not only each other but the era’s upheavals, House Of Guinness offers a portrait of a dynasty at a crossroads—and a city, and a country, that are responding to rapid change in real time.