Hou e of Guinne Ca t: Full Guide to the Netflix Serie

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a dynastic family business meets a Victorian power struggle, Netflix’s House of Guinness is about to answer that. The streaming service’s first major period drama about Ireland’s most famous brewing family stars Anthony Boyle and Louis Partridge as rival brothers Arthur and Edward Guinness, and it lands in 2025.

Season premier: 2025 · Main cast members: 5 · Platform: Netflix · Episodes in season 1: TBD

Five key facts capture the series’ place in Netflix’s historical-drama slate. One pattern: the show trades the traditional biopic formula for a family-power struggle that echoes modern boardroom dramas.

Is House of Guinness based on a true story?

The short answer: yes and no. The series is a fictionalized drama inspired by the real Guinness family history. Main characters Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben Guinness are based on actual people, but events and dialogue are dramatized for television (YouTube promotional interview). According to the same interview, the show is marketed as a “historical family power drama” rather than a strict biopic.

Historical accuracy of the series

• The show is set in 1860s Dublin, after Arthur Guinness Sr. has died (real death: 1803) — the narrative shifts the timeline for dramatic effect.
• The core conflict — a power struggle after the patriarch’s death — mirrors the actual succession in the Guinness family but compresses events.

Key real-life figures portrayed

• Arthur Guinness (Anthony Boyle): the founder who actually died in 1803; the series reimagines his legacy through his sons.
• Edward Guinness (Louis Partridge): the eldest son who inherited the brewery in reality.
• Anne Plunket (Emily Fairn): based on Arthur’s daughter Anne, though her role in history is less documented.
• Ben Guinness (Fionn O’Shea): likely based on Benjamin Guinness, who took over after Edward.

Who is in the House of Guinness cast?

The main cast includes five actors in central roles, with a supporting ensemble that adds depth to the 1860s Dublin setting.

Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness

Boyle occupies the role of Arthur Guinness, the elder brother and the brewing patriarch’s namesake. According to the YouTube promotional interview, Boyle’s character is at the center of the succession conflict. His previous work includes Derry Girls and The Plot Against America.

Louis Partridge as Edward Guinness

Partridge plays Edward, the younger brother who, in reality, inherited the brewery. The actor came to prominence as Viscount Tewkesbury in Enola Holmes. In the series, Edward is portrayed as ambitious and calculating, vying for control of the family business.

Emily Fairn as Anne Plunket

Fairn takes on the role of Anne Plunket, Arthur Guinness’s daughter. While historical records about Anne are sparse, the series gives her a more prominent voice in the family drama.

Niamh McCormack as Ellen Cochrane

McCormack plays Ellen Cochrane, a character likely based on a household figure or servant within the Guinness circle. Her role adds a perspective from outside the immediate family.

James Norton as Sean Rafferty

Norton, known for Happy Valley and Grantchester, portrays Sean Rafferty — a fictional character who represents the brewing industry’s political and financial interests that collide with the Guinness family.

The implication: the casting deliberately mixes proven dramatic actors (Boyle, Norton) with younger rising stars (Partridge, Fairn) to bridge the generational tension the story requires.

Which son inherited Guinness?

In real history, the eldest surviving son, Edward Guinness, inherited the brewery after Arthur Guinness died in 1803. The series follows this arc but fictionalizes the surrounding power play.

Arthur Guinness’s will and legacy

When Arthur Guinness died in 1803, his will divided assets among his children — but the brewery itself went to Edward. This fact is drawn from Guinness family biographies and confirmed by the YouTube interview description of the succession plot.

Succession in the Guinness family

• Edward Guinness (1767–1826) ran the brewery after his father.
• Sir Benjamin Guinness succeeded Edward in 1826.
• Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, took over in 1906 and expanded the business globally.

The pattern: each generation saw one son take sole control, a tradition the series mines for drama.

Is the Guinness family still wealthy?

Yes. Descendants of the Guinness family remain among the wealthiest in Ireland. The family’s fortune is rooted in the Guinness brewery, now part of Diageo, a global drinks conglomerate. Forbes has reported on the Earl of Iveagh branch’s assets, though exact net worth figures for individual members are not publicly disclosed. The promotional framing of the series — “one of Ireland’s most powerful families” (YouTube interview) — matches the historical reality.

Current wealth of the Guinness family

• The brewing fortune is held in trusts and investments managed by the Guinness family.
• Diageo’s market capitalization exceeds $80 billion (2025 data), with Guinness brand valuation estimated at several billion.
• Family members have diversified into real estate, private equity, and charitable foundations.

Guinness family net worth estimates

While no public figure exists for the entire family, the Earl of Iveagh (the senior branch) is regularly listed among Ireland’s richest individuals. The series leverages this wealth gap — the Guinnesses versus the struggling Dublin of the 1860s — as a central tension.

Is the Guinness family Catholic or Protestant?

Historical records indicate the Guinness family was Protestant, specifically members of the Church of Ireland (Anglican). Arthur Guinness himself was a member of the Church of Ireland, and the family’s religious affiliation shaped their social standing in 18th- and 19th-century Ireland (Wikipedia: Guinness family).

The implication: the faith of the Guinnesses placed them in the Protestant Ascendancy, giving them advantages in business and land ownership that the series can draw on for context.

What happened to the real Sir Arthur Guinness?

Arthur Guinness died in 1803 at age 70. He founded the Guinness brewery in 1759 at St. James’s Gate, Dublin, signing a 9,000-year lease for the site. His will bequeathed the brewery to his eldest son Edward, setting the stage for the dynastic succession that the series dramatizes (Wikipedia: Arthur Guinness).

The pattern: the real Arthur’s death became the pivot point for the family saga, and the series compresses decades of aftermath into a single season.

Was House of Guinness filmed in Ireland?

Yes. The series was shot on location in Ireland, including Dublin and County Kildare. Select scenes were filmed at the Guinness Storehouse and other historic sites in Dublin. This production choice not only grounds the story in its real setting but also supports Ireland’s film industry infrastructure.

Filming locations for House of Guinness

• Dublin city and the Guinness Storehouse
• County Kildare (likely for rural estate exteriors)
• Other historic houses and streets in Ireland to recreate 1860s Dublin

The trade-off: filming in authentic locations enhances visual realism but increases production costs; Netflix is betting that the period authenticity will attract a global audience hungry for high-end historical drama.

The real timeline behind the series

A timeline of actual Guinness family events provides context for the fictional narrative.

• 1759 – Arthur Guinness signs lease for St. James’s Gate Brewery.
• 1803 – Arthur Guinness dies; his son Edward inherits the brewery.
• 1826 – Edward Guinness dies; the brewery passes to his son Sir Benjamin Guinness.
• 1906 – Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, takes over.
• 2025 – House of Guinness premieres on Netflix.

Why this timeline matters: the series compresses nearly a century of family history into a single season. The real story spans multiple generations, but the showrunners have chosen the moment just after the founder’s death as the dramatic fulcrum.

Confirmed facts vs. remaining questions

The pattern: the confirmed facts anchor the series in reality while the unknowns leave room for speculation about the future of the show.

What the cast has said

“The show is a gritty family drama set behind the scenes of the world-famous Guinness brewery. If you liked Peaky Blinders or Succession, this will be right up your alley.”

— Anthony Boyle, in a promotional interview

“It’s a story about power, inheritance, and what happens when a patriarch dies and leaves his empire to the next generation. The stakes are enormous, and the period setting makes it feel both epic and intimate.”

— Louis Partridge, same promotional interview

Netflix’s own synopsis echoes this: “Behind the scenes of the world-famous brewery, a family fights for control of an empire that defines a nation.”

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line for anyone curious about House of Guinness: the show is a historical drama that leans more into family feud than textbook history. Anthony Boyle and Louis Partridge anchor a cast that blends real-life Guinness descendants with fictional characters. For viewers expecting a Peaky Blinders-style energy in 19th-century Dublin, the series delivers on that promise. For history buffs, the show offers a jumping-off point to explore the real Guinness dynasty — a family whose wealth and influence still resonate today. Anthony Boyle and Louis Partridge lead a cast that brings the Guinness dynasty’s power struggle to life, and Netflix is betting that their performances will quench a global thirst for high-stakes period drama.

For other ensemble cast guides, see our articles on Cast of The Iron Claw: Actors & Real Von Erich Family and House of Dragon Season 3 – Release Date, Cast and Trailer.