John Meagher settles down for a unique lesson in Irish history from the St James's Gate archivist
Go into pubs the length and breadth of the country and you will find no shortage of barstool philosophers who know their pint of plain. Ask them about Arthur Guinness and his famous brew and they will have little trouble trotting out all kinds of facts and myths.
But these seasoned drinkers would be no match to Eibhlin Roche, a 33-year-old from Tralee, Co Kerry. She is one of the world's foremost authorities on Guinness and its famous family. A full-time archivist at the Guinness Storehouse, she is paid to uncover yet more details about the Guinnesses and their world-famous drink.
"I love working in an environment where I'm surrounded by history," she says, as she takes the Irish Independent on a tour of the old factory, starting at the storehouse.
"There's the first Arthur 's original dwelling house" -- she points to a handsome brick building adjoining James Street -- "and these are the narrow-gauge tracks that were laid in the 1880s. Guinness had its own internal rail system for years."
There is a pair of "vat houses" -- dating from the late 18th Century -- and a beautifully tiled tunnel from 100 years later that takes workers from this part of the Guinness factory to the section north of James Street. "A lot walk over it all the time on the street above it and don't realise it's here but it's still very much in use.
"A lot of my work concerns genealogy," Eibhlin says. "We have records of employees dating back more than 100 years and it was quite common for generations of the same family to work here."
A trained historian with a special interest in the ladies of the Land League movement, Eibhlin has worked as archivist at Guinness for 10 years. "So much of Irish history is bound up with this company," she says, "and it does have a place in the hearts of many people in a way that other firms just wouldn't."
The following tidbits represent a potted history of Guinness as gleaned from an afternoon in Eibhlin's company.
Arthur's Day -- the marketing extravaganza dreamed up by Diageo -- takes place on September 22, but don't assume this date marks the birthday of the brewery's founder. Although he's among the most celebrated of all Irishman, Arthur Guinness's precise date of birth is not known: it is thought that he was born sometime in early 1725.
In 1752, when he was 27, Arthur's godfather, Arthur Price, Bishop of Cashel, bequeathed him £100 in his will. This money was spent acquiring a brewery in Leixlip, Co Kildare, where young Arthur cut his teeth in the beer business.
Arthur's wife, Olivia Whitmore, was Henry Grattan's first cousin. Unlike the hugely politicised Grattan, Arthur Guinness largely kept his political views to himself. His Church of Ireland faith was strong, however, and he contributed 250 guineas to the chapel schools of St Patrick's, beginning a long-standing relationship between the Guinness family and the venerable cathedral.
Arthur and Olivia were married in St Mary's Church, in Dublin's north inner city, in 1761 -- two years after he signed the celebrated 9,000-year lease on the St James's Gate brewery. Perhaps appropriately, St Mary's now trades as a pub.
Arthur and Olivia had 21 children. Only 10 survived into adulthood, including Arthur Jnr, their second eldest son, who would succeed his father as head of the brewery.
The Guinness brewery produced ale in its early years but, from 1799 onwards, concentrated solely on porter-style beer. The name porter was derived from the drink that labourers in the London markets of the early 18th Century consumed.
Male employees at Guinness were accepted from the age of 14. From the ages of 14 to 17 they were known as "boys", from 18 to 21, they were "lads", and from 22 on they were called "men". Different pay grades applied.
Arthur's grandson, Benjamin Lee Guinness, was Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1851 and was later elected MP to the House of Commons . He provided £150,000 for the restoration of St Patrick's Cathedral.
Black Velvet -- the decadent cocktail that's two-parts champagne, one-part Guinness -- was reputedly created in 1861 at the Brooke's Club, London, to mark the death of Prince Albert. Legend has it the steward of the club ordered even sparkling wine should be in mourning, hence the addition of Guinness "black".
In 1862, the harp logo was used for the first time. The inspiration was taken from the Brian Boru harp at Trinity College. It was trademarked in 1876. The official emblem of Ireland is also based on the Brian Boru harp, but its back faces the other way.
Guinness first started advertising in 1929. It employed London agency Benson's to create its colourful billboards featuring a menagerie of animals including the toucan, which would become emblematic with the brand. The posters were hand-painted by the English artist, John Gilroy, and a handful of slogans -- especially 'Guinness is Good for You' -- entered the vernacular.
The company did not advertise in Ireland until 1959 -- the year of its bicentenary. Older readers may remember the first Guinness advertising strap-line used in this country: '200 years of Guinness. What a lovely, long drink'. An Post issued a 3p stamp featuring Arthur to commemorate the occasion.
Draught Guinness was one of the most successful product launches of the 20th Century; its creamy head derived from mixing the beer with nitrogen. But this quintessentially Irish beverage was, in fact, created in the company's London brewery at Park Royal. It was launched in 1959 and was quickly rolled out across the country.
By contrast, Guinness Light was a spectacular failure when launched 20 years later in 1979. Perhaps ahead of its time, this low-alcohol beer is chiefly remembered for the strapline, 'They said it couldn't be done', which graced its ubiquitous TV ad campaign. The product was withdrawn after a year. Undeterred, Guinness spent £5m marketing a white beer, Breo, in 1999. It, too, failed to whet the appetites of the drinking public.
The Guinness family line and the brewery lasted from 1759 to 1992, the year Benjamin Guinness, the 3rd Earl of Iveagh, died. Benjamin has the unique distinction of sitting on the upper houses of parliament in Ireland and the UK at the same time. His son, Ned, sold the Guinness family's Irish home at Farmleigh to the government in 1999.
Kerry actor Michael Fassbender won the best actor award at the Venice Film Festival last weekend and his CV includes such acclaimed productions as Jane Eyre (on release) and Hunger. Before hitting the big time, he starred in a Guinness ad in 2004, playing a man who swam across the Atlantic to apologise to a brother in New York.
Arthur's Day takes place on Thursday with live music from Stereophonics, Paolo Nutini, Seasick Steve and others in a variety of locations nationwide. Consult guinness.com/arthursday
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