The Dublin Scandal may have inspired House of Guinness’ same-sex romance

Netflix’s hard-hitting period drama, House of Guinness, recently made its debut, featuring a stellar cast and breathtaking locations, reports the Irish Mirror.

The series, penned by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, has left many viewers questioning the balance between fact and fiction, particularly after the Guinness family criticised the show and each episode began with a disclaimer stating that the “fiction” was inspired by real events.

A key point of interest for many is the character of Arthur Guinness 1st Baron Ardilaun (portrayed by Anthony Boyle), the eldest Guinness child, who is depicted as gay in the series.

The plot sees various adversaries attempting to reveal his sexuality in an effort to destabilise the Guinness family and seize power.

One of the direct descendants of the Guinness family delivered a blistering critique of the eight-part drama, labelling the portrayal of Arthur’s same-sex relationships as “invented”. However, author Joe Joyce, who penned the 2009 book The Guinnesses: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Most Successful Family, suggested that Arthur was “probably gay”.

In an article for the Irish Times, Joyce added: “Lord Ardilaun had an unconventional marriage” to Olivia Hedges-White (Danielle Galligan). So, while the jury may still be out on House of Guinness’ depiction of Arthur, what about the reality of gay romances during this time period?

Historian and author Dr Averill Earls exclusively told Reach Screen Time that “same-sex desiring men were occasionally arrested and tried for their relationships with other men”.

However, the cost of their love was steep if found guilty; similar to Britain, Irish men convicted of sodomy faced a life sentence. Those found guilty of attempted sodomy could expect a prison term of 10 years or more.

Furthermore, some Irish men convicted between the 1820s and 1870s were transported to other penal colonies.

Dr Earls continued: “But there generally weren’t that many trials in Ireland for sodomy – there were more in Britain by comparison. “However, the Irish Nationalist newspapers used sodomy to undermine British rule in Ireland – newspapers regularly printed that sodomy was a “crime no Irishman would be guilty of”, and effectively blamed the British for importing the “sin” into Ireland.

“A prime example of this revolved around the nationalist newspaper United Ireland effectively breaking the story of the Dublin Castle Scandal in 1884.

“That said, if the newsmen hadn’t been trying to cast aspersions at the British officials in Dublin, men like Gustavus Cornwall and James Ellis French likely would’ve gone on with their sexual and romantic same-sex relationships relatively unscathed.”

Dr Earls, author of Love in the Lav: A Social Biography of Same-Sex Desire in Ireland, 1922-1972, added: “Social position, power, and money went a long way in Ireland as elsewhere. Scandal was the greater potential threat.”

The Dublin Scandal of 1884 embroiled several top-ranking officials in the Dublin Castle administration, including Gustavus Cornwall, secretary of the General Post Office, and James Ellis French, Royal Irish Constabulary Director of Detectives.

The scandal was sparked by two MPs and published in the United Ireland Newspaper as an exposé. However, the reports surrounding the scandal illuminated the queer community in the 1880s, including drag parties and gatherings at the Botanic Gardens – a theme depicted in House of Guinness.

While the Netflix series has taken some artistic liberties with the story and characters, it appears that the portrayal of same-sex relationships is generally quite accurate, particularly the threat of scandal which would have severely impacted influential families like the Guinnesses if it were exposed.

House of Guinness is streaming on Netflix now