If you're on the hunt for a new show to binge, look no further than House of Guinness. The latest Netflix release by Steven Knight, who created Peaky Blinders, documents the dramatic story of the Guinness family, the brewing family who had incredible influence over Ireland.
We can expect power struggles, scandals, secrets and tragedies, all told against the political backdrop of 19th century Ireland. While the Guinness family characters are based on the IRL family (with creative liberties taken when it comes to their storylines), others in the show are fictional - but have important historical context.
One of these is Patrick Cochrane, who represents the antithesis to the wealthy Guinness family...
Who is Patrick Cochrane?
Running parallel to the stories of the wealthy and debaucherous Guinness family is the political situation in Ireland in the late 19th century, which is told through Patrick and Ellen Cochrane. Patrick Cochrane is the leader of the Fenians, who were a revolutionary nationalist group operating in Ireland. Their main cause was to free Ireland from the British, and remove themselves from the United Kingdom after the Act of Union in 1800.
Cochrane is a man with a fiery temper who is committed to the cause of the Fenians - and to seeing the downfall of the Guinness family. However, through his relationship with his sister Ellen, we witness his softer, more vulnerable side.
Who plays Patrick Cochrane in House Of Guinness?
Patrick Cochrane is played by Seamus O’Hara. You might recognise Seamus from his roles in The Northman, In the Land of Saints and Sinners and Game of Thrones.
In an interview with Irish News, Seamus spoke about playing the role of Patrick. 'Cochrane absolutely despises the Guinness family. They represent everything that is the antithesis of what the IRB, Fenianism and Irish socialism stood for at that time,' he told the outlet. 'This was an impoverished Ireland, partly due to the policies of Britain — and the Fenians and the IRB recognised the Guinnesses as enemies.'
However, he quipped that his character still liked to drink Guinness - despite his aversions to the family - but only when it's stolen. 'The Fenians loved Guinness. It was a strong drink, and the men and women at the time loved it. But, like with a lot of nationalism, especially Irish nationalism, people could be pragmatic,' he told Irish News. 'I think what that tells us about Patrick is that the rules can’t always be black and white. There are grey areas where you can express yourself.'
When is House of Guinness on Netflix?
Right now! You can stream all eight episodes of House of Guinness on Netflix from today. You just need a Netflix subscription to watch them.
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.