The upcoming Netflix drama House of Guinness has chosen some of the UK’s most striking architecture and historic cities to recreate 19th-century Dublin. Although the story is set in 1868 Ireland, much of the series was filmed in England, with Liverpool, Manchester, Stockport, and Cheshire doubling as Dublin’s streets and landmarks.
Created by Steven Knight, known for Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes, House of Guinness explores the legacy of the world-famous brewing dynasty. The drama begins with the death of Benjamin Guinness in 1868 and follows the family’s story in both Ireland and New York as they build their empire and navigate personal issues.
Steven Knight Reveals Why House of Guinness Wasn’t Filmed in Dublin
Steven Knight, the creator of the upcoming Netflix drama House of Guinness, has shared the reason he did not prefer filming the series in Dublin itself, even though the story is set there.
In an interview with the Irish News, he revealed that modern Dublin no longer looks like 1860, the era the show is set in. And so they chose cities like Liverpool and Manchester, which still have period-appropriate streets and architecture.
Dublin now looks less like Dublin in 1868 than other areas do. If you’re not in Dublin, you’ve got the whole of Great Britain to choose from, so there might be a street corner in Liverpool that looks perfect.
Knight also insisted that his previous hit, Peaky Blinders, was also not shot in Birmingham because the city no longer resembled its 1920s self. “It didn’t mean I was any less passionate about the city – it was a purely practical decision,” he added.
Steven Knight Explains the Origins of Netflix’s House of Guinness
The idea for the new Netflix drama House of Guinness has roots in both history and happenstance. Writer Steven Knight recalled how the project first came to him through production company Kudos.
“Basically, the question was, ‘Would you be interested in doing the Guinness story?’, and my answer was ‘yes, definitely!’” he recalled in an interview with the Irish News.
Knight began researching the famous brewing dynasty and soon found his entry point, the death of Benjamin Guinness in 1868, when the family business passed to his four children.
“There’s a lot of folklore about the very, very early days,” he said, adding, “So it felt to me the time to come in was with the death of Benjamin Guinness, who left the brewery to his four children in 1868.”
A pivotal influence came from Ivana Lowell, granddaughter of Maureen Constance Guinness. Knight describes Lowell as “an extraordinary human being and an absolute mine of information,” whose family stories offered a rare glimpse behind the curtain of the Guinness legacy.
Their first meeting proved unforgettable. “You didn’t just get the stories,” Knight recalled, “You got the spirit and the confidence and the slight madness – the whole thing.”
Step inside the legacy, the secrets, and the drama of one of history’s most iconic families with the upcoming Netflix series House of Guinness.
House of Guinness is set to release on September 25, 2025.
