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Steven Knight's latest historical drama, 'House of Guinness', draws viewers into the opulent and industrial world of the renowned Irish brewing family. Despite its Dublin-centric narrative, the series ingeniously utilizes various locations across northern England and Wales to transport audiences back to 1868. This creative approach, reminiscent of Knight's 'Peaky Blinders', allows the production to authentically capture the period's essence through carefully selected historical buildings and meticulously crafted sets.

The meticulous attention to detail in set design and location scouting not only brings the narrative to life but also establishes a compelling visual connection to the socio-economic backdrop of 19th-century Ireland. The series successfully blends historical accuracy with dramatic storytelling, creating an immersive experience for the audience. The choice to film away from modern Dublin underscores the challenges of recreating a bygone era, highlighting the production's commitment to visual authenticity.

Recreating 19th-Century Dublin: Locations Beyond the Capital

The historical drama 'House of Guinness' impressively recreates the world of the Guinness brewery and family life in 1868 Dublin, despite opting not to film in the modern Irish capital. Showrunner Steven Knight explains that contemporary Dublin no longer resembles its 19th-century counterpart sufficiently for filming purposes. Instead, the production team turned to various period-appropriate sites in northern England, mirroring the strategy used for 'Peaky Blinders', which was not filmed in Birmingham. This approach allowed for a more authentic portrayal of the era's architecture and atmosphere, leveraging locations that have retained their historical character more effectively than Dublin itself.

Key locations included Liverpool's Georgian-era streets and grand buildings, which served as ideal stand-ins for Dublin's aristocratic residences, such as Iveagh House. Director Tom Shankland noted that these Liverpool sites offered the perfect architectural match for the period. Similarly, for the vast St. James's Gate Brewery, the production transformed Liverpool's Stanley Dock, a mid-19th-century hub of trade, into the bustling industrial heart of the Guinness empire. This regeneration of historical docks into filming locations highlights the innovative spirit of the production, ensuring that the visual landscape of the series is as compelling and accurate as its narrative.

Industrial Scale and Aristocratic Grandeur: Crafting the Guinness World

The production of 'House of Guinness' undertook an ambitious task to authentically reconstruct both the industrial scale of the Guinness brewery and the refined elegance of the family's aristocratic life. The team achieved this by repurposing a massive former tobacco warehouse at Liverpool's Stanley Dock, enabling the recreation of diverse brewery environments—from factory floors and offices to cooperages and stables—all within a single, expansive location. Executive producer Karen Wilson highlighted the invaluable efficiency and realism this provided, allowing characters to move seamlessly through various parts of the brewery complex, reinforcing the series' commitment to detailed world-building.

Beyond the industrial setting, the series also masterfully depicted the Guinness family's lavish Dublin mansion, Iveagh House. For its exterior, Croxteth Hall in Liverpool was transformed with digital enhancements and new architectural elements to match the original structure. The interior scenes, including the grand ballroom and drawing-room, were meticulously constructed on stages in Manchester. Production designer Richard Bullock's team employed intricate techniques, such as molding plaster pillars and painting marble effects, to create a convincing replica of 19th-century luxury, underscoring the stark contrast between the gritty industrial backdrops and the gilded opulence of the family's personal spaces.