Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight delivers another gripping Irish tale in House of Guinness. The period drama debuted on September 25 on Netflix, with its finale ending on a major cliffhanger, implying Knight’s intentions to make another season.
As of the time of publication, House of Guinness hasn’t been renewed. But here’s what we know about the show’s potential future, plus what you need to know before diving into House of Guinness Season 1.
What is House of Guinness about?
Inspired by one of Europe’s most famous and enduring dynasties, House of Guinness is set in 19th-century Dublin and New York. The story begins immediately after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the man responsible for the extraordinary success of the Guinness brewery, and the far-reaching impact of his will on the fate of his four adult children, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben, as well as on a group of Dublin characters who work and interact with the phenomenon that is Guinness.
In what year does House of Guinness take place?
House of Guinness Season 1 begins in 1868. Benjamin Guinness died on May 19 of that year.
Who is in the House of Guinness cast?
House of Guinness stars Anthony Boyle as Arthur, Louis Partridge as Edward, Emily Fairn as Anne, and Fionn O’Shea as Benjamin. James Norton plays Sean Rafferty, with Niamh McCormack as Ellen Cochrane, Danielle Galligan as Lady Olivia Hedges, Ann Skelly as Adelaide Guinness, Seamus O’Hara as Patrick Cochrane, Jack Gleeson as Byron Hughes, and Dervla Kirwan as Aunt Agnes Guinness.
Additional stars include Michael McElhatton as John Potter, David Wilmot as Bonnie Champion, Michael Colgan as Rev. Henry Gratton, Jessica Reynolds as Lady Christine O’Madden, Hilda Fay as Sultan, and Elizabeth Dulau as Lady Henrietta St. Lawrence.
Will there be a Season 2 of House of Guinness?
Season 1 ended with the fate of the Guinness siblings up in the air after the rebellious Patrick Cochrane fired a gunshot aimed at the famous family at a public event. It’s not clear if he hit anyone, or who he hit, for that matter.
As of the time of publication, House of Guinness Season 2 hasn’t been greenlit. But Knight confirmed to TV Insider that the Season 1 finale cliffhanger was a setup for more episodes.
“I intend to [make more House of Guinness],” Knight said with confidence and a smile. “I can’t make any announcements, but that’s my plan at least.”
Boyle, Partridge, Norton, and more stars share their hopes for House of Guinness Season 2 in our finale interview here.
Was House of Guinness filmed in Ireland?
House of Guinness is set in Ireland and New York, but it was filmed in the North West of England and Wales. The Guinness family’s country home is featured in the series. That home is based on Ashford Castle, in Cong, County Mayo, but they filmed the scenes at Penrhyn Castle in North Wales.
House of Guinness used Manchester as the filming setting for the show’s New York scenes. Manchester’s Tarriff Street, Paton Street, Dale Street, and Back Piccadilly were used for filming. Stockport’s Underbanks area was used for Dublin.
The interior of the Guinness Iveagh House was recreated on film studio sets in Manchester. Tatton Park was also used.
Select scenes were also filmed in Liverpool and Rotherham.
The series wasn’t able to film in the actual Guinness Brewery in Dublin.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t have shot in the Guinness Brewery in Dublin,” director Tom Shankland told Manchester Evening News. “It’s a working brewery and museum — not really the same brewery as it was. There are some lovely iconic buildings in Dublin; Iveagh House is an iconic location, but we couldn’t realistically have filmed on St. Stephen’s Green. So, it became quite clear that we just weren’t going to get the 1868 Dublin we wanted.”
“Liverpool and Manchester offered so much. They’re two great cities with a fantastic history of having big Irish communities,” he added. “Apart from anything else, architecturally, like Dublin, there is a lot of Georgian-era streets and grand buildings in Liverpool that were just right for us.”
How many episodes are there in House of Guinness?
House of Guinness Season 1 has eight episodes total.
House of Guinness, Available Now, Netflix