Guinness is back in the spotlight – not for what’s in the glass, but for the family saga now streaming on Netflix. House of Guinness tells the story of the so-called Royal Family of Stout, beginning with the death of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness and the fortunes — and misfortunes — of his heirs. But how much of what we’re binge-watching is rooted in truth, and how much has been dramatised for television? 

Novelist Emily Hourican joins Ciara Doherty on the podcast to separate history from fiction. From the monumental funeral of Sir Benjamin to the family’s mix of philanthropy and strategy, from the rise of Edward Cecil Guinness to the scandal-tinged glamour of the Guinness Girls, we trace how a Dublin brewing dynasty became a cultural mythology. We also explore the family’s surprising resilience through Ireland’s political upheavals, their role in shaping Dublin’s landscape, and how their legacy still echoes today. 

Emily Hourican’s own novels inspired by the dynasty, The Guinness Girls, offer another window into this extraordinary family. So, what do we learn when history, literature and television collide? And is there any truth to the so-called ‘Guinness Curse’?

Newstalk Daily reporter Alex Rowley went to the Dublin premiere of the show where he met three of its stars: Danielle Galligan, who plays Lady Olivia Hedges, Dervla Kirwan (Aunt Agnes Guinness), and Fionn O’Shea (Benjamin Guinness). 

🔗 Emily Hourican’s website 

📸 Follow Alex on Instagram @alexxrowley