How much is too much when it comes to the representation of Irish culture, and what makes us caricatures?
Thursday, the 25th of September, saw the release of Netflix’s ‘House of Guinness’, a historical series based on the life of the Guinness family created by Steven Knight, the same creator as ‘Peaky Blinders’. The star-studded series is notable not only for its cast but also for its soundtrack, which weaves in different areas of music from Irish culture throughout the eight episodes. A mix of Irish and English actors make up the cast; Anthony Boyle plays Arthur Guinness, previously appearing in ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Masters of the Air’, and ‘Say Nothing’. Arthur’s siblings, Anne, Benjamin and Edward are played by English actress Emily Fairn, our own Fionn O’Shea and English actor Louis Partridge.
With an international audience through Netflix, is it a good thing that this revamp of our culture has reached a wider reception? Since it represents the Irish people as more than the lazy alcoholics we might be known as. Even though it is a series about the production of Guinness, there is much more to it than that. Each of the siblings gets their own stories, not just the main man, Arthur Guinness. We also see the inclusion of some fictional characters, such as Seán Rafferty, warehouse foreman and head of security for the brewery, played by James Norton. Ellen Cochrane, a Fenian organiser, is played by Niamh McCormack, and Byron Hedges, a distant Guinness relative, is played by Cork native ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Jack Gleeson.
The inclusion of music from modern Irish artists, such as Fontaines DC and Kneecap, helps break the stereotype of traditional Irish music that the rest of the world might associate with the country. The first episode saw the inclusion of both bands. ‘Starburster’ from Fontaines DC, and a double-feature of Kneecap right from the get-go with ‘Get Your Brits Out’ and ‘H.O.O.D.
However, is this modern representation, making the Irish language cool compared to what is learned in school, appealing to younger generations, the way to go? Meanwhile, some non-Irish bands are included on the soundtrack, channelling our culture. ‘The Parting Glass’ is sung twice in the final episode; first by the Robocobra Quartet and then by Boygenius partnered with Ye Vagabonds. However, this particular song is originally Scottish culture, similar to ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Is this good for Irish culture or not? Will it just lump us in with a similar culture and excuse others for mixing up our culture with those of the countries across the Irish Sea? None of these is necessarily an appropriate culture; they appreciate it and take their own spin on it. Unlike perhaps the Dropkick Murphys with ‘Shipping Up to Boston’,
Is there a more fitting way to finish the series about Guinness than with the Clancy Brothers’ ‘Beer Beer Beer’. Despite it being a little on the nose, it really packs the punch needed for the end of the series. The tune is on the older side, released in 1969 by the four brothers from Tipperary. If anything, it fits into the theme of family tradition and being in the family business, with four siblings involved in the Guinness empire and fighting for an identity through it. Hopefully, with the success of ‘House of Guinness’, Steven Knight might explore more aspects of Irish culture in the future.