"Not one mob but two awaits him as his casket rolls out of the factory gates. On one side are evangelistic followers of the Temperance movement, whose objections to the Guinness family don't really need to be explained. On the other hand, there's the Fenians, the unruliest of the factions pushing for Irish independence from Great Britain. Sure, Benjamin Guinness might have made great beer, but he was also a unionist and a Protestant."
"It's May 27, 1868, the day of Benjamin Guinness's funeral. Anyone expecting a quiet time of mourning and reflection is sure to be surprised. The son of Arthur Guinness II and grandson of Arthur Guinness, founder of the famed brewery located at Dublin's St. James Gate, Benjamin became the wealthiest man in Ireland after assuming control of the company upon his father's death. He also served as Lord Mayor of Dublin and restored St. Patrick's Cathedral at his own expense."
On May 27, 1868 Benjamin Guinness's funeral becomes the flashpoint for competing public anger. Two hostile groups — Temperance activists and Fenians — converge on the brewery as his casket leaves the gates. Benjamin, heir to Arthur Guinness, grew into Ireland's wealthiest man, served as Lord Mayor of Dublin, and funded the restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral. His unionist and Protestant identity makes him a target for nationalist fury. A Fenian leader proclaims there will be no peaceful burial, while Sean Rafferty, a fixer for the family, organizes brewery workers to seize a "means of persuasion" to ensure the burial. The dramatization carries a disclaimer claiming inspiration from true stories.
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