Guinness Beer: Ethical Consumption And Corporate Responsibility

The Guinness beer company has been accused of supporting immoral things. Some believe that Guinness supports the Catholic Church, which has been accused of committing atrocities throughout history. Others associate the company with the British Royal Family and hold them responsible for wars and colonial atrocities. There are also claims that Guinness has connections to the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its terrorist attacks. While the truth behind these accusations is debatable, they have sparked discussions about the company's ethics and societal impact.

Guinness and the Catholic Church

Arthur Guinness, the founder of the Guinness Brewery, was a devout Protestant and a supporter of Catholic rights in Ireland. He was politically active and a member of the Dublin Corporation of Brewers, frequently arguing for his fellow gentry to set a strong moral example. He was also instrumental in petitioning the Irish House of Commons to change the tax code surrounding the importation of beer.

Arthur Guinness was a member of the Dublin Corporation and a supporter of his cousin-in-law, Henry Grattan, a member of the Parliament of Ireland who advocated for legislative independence and aiding Catholics. Guinness personally hired Catholics for his brewery and treated them fairly. He advocated for overturning laws that restricted Catholics' ability to enter certain professions and argued for economic developments that would positively impact lower-class Catholics.

Guinness was opposed to the Irish Rebellion of 1798, a rebellion of Presbyterian radicals seeking to overthrow British rule in Ireland. His stance against the rebellion led Irish Catholics and nationalists to refer to his beer as "black Protestant porter."

Guinness was a religious man with the personal motto "Spes Mea in Deo," which translates to "My Hope is in God." He founded the first Sunday school in Dublin in 1786 and was influenced by the faith of John Wesley and the Methodist model of evangelical social work. He also served as treasurer and later Governor of Meath Hospital, frequently donating to St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.

Sir Alec Guinness, the renowned British actor, also had a notable connection to the Catholic Church. Although he was confirmed in the Anglican faith as a teenager, he secretly considered himself an atheist. However, after playing a priest in the 1954 film "The Detective," he began to reconsider his religious beliefs.

While filming in a remote French village, a local child mistook him for a real priest and trusted him enough to take his hand and walk with him. This incident made Guinness reflect on the Catholic Church in a more positive light, and he began to let go of his long-held prejudices.

Around the same time, his son Matthew fell ill with polio, and Guinness began praying for his recovery in a local Catholic church. He made a bargain with God, promising not to stand in Matthew's way if he wished to convert to Catholicism. Matthew recovered, and both Sir Alec Guinness and his wife eventually converted to Catholicism.

Guinness and the British Royal Family

The Guinness family is an extensive Irish family known for its achievements in brewing, banking, politics, and religious ministry. The founder of the dynasty was Arthur Guinness, an Irish brewer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. The Guinness brewery, founded in 1759, is British-owned and the largest brewery in the world, but it is situated in Ireland. The family has had a long association with royalty, with Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 proving a popular celebration among the Guinness Trust residents.

The first official link between the Guinness family and the British royal family was formed in 1987 when Princess Diana became the patron of the Guinness Trust. Princess Diana took a particular interest in the Smithfield project for homeless people in Manchester, which was carried out in partnership with Turning Point, a voluntary organisation that helps people with alcohol and drug problems. In 1997, after Princess Diana's death, her former husband, Prince Charles, took over as patron and continues to show a keen interest in the work of the Trust and in the wider issues of social housing.

Over the years, many members of the British royal family have visited Guinness estates and shown their support for the community and design work. In 1955, the Queen Mother visited the newly completed West Ham estate, where she unveiled a plaque to commemorate her visit. In 1980, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, attended the opening of the Dersingham estate, a joint development with Hanover Housing Association. The Guinness family has also had several marriages that have connected them to the British royal family. Lady Brigid Guinness, for example, married Prince Frederick of Prussia, and Princess Antonia of Prussia married Charles Wellesley, the 9th Duke of Wellington.

While the Guinness family has had a long and friendly association with the British royal family, the brewery itself has had a more complex relationship with the monarchy. Arthur Guinness, the founder of the Guinness brewery, was a unionist and completely opposed to independence for Ireland. He was also suspected of being an informer for the British, with the newspaper 'The Union Star' naming him in 1797 as "an active spy". During the Easter Rising in 1916, trucks used by Guinness were converted into improvised armoured fighting vehicles by the British Army and used against republican forces. There are conflicting reports over whether these vehicles were commandeered or donated by Guinness. Following the uprising, Guinness dismissed staff suspected of involvement or sympathy with the rebels, taking a hard line against any form of Irish republicanism or nationalism.

Guinness and the IRA

In the 1980s, as the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) bombing campaign spread to London and the rest of Britain, Guinness considered severing ties with Ireland and rebranding itself as an English company. The IRA's bombings and the Irish government's failure to side with Britain during the Falklands War led to a "resistance to the Irish angle", which caused concern for the Guinness company.

The recent IRA bombing of Hyde Park and Regent's Park in London, which killed 11 soldiers and seven horses, caused particular offence as it was seen as an attack on the Queen's guard. Edward Guinness, the head of public relations for the Park Royal brewery in London, which brewed Guinness, told Irish embassy staff that the company may have to emphasise its English roots due to the recent IRA bombings and adverse British reaction to Irish policy on the Falklands. Guinness also mentioned that an innkeeper in Poole, Dorset had severed ties with Guinness during the Falklands crisis, attracting publicity for his actions.

Guinness contemplated scrapping the harp as its logo during this time. The company was worried that the political situation was damaging brand sentiment and that customers in Northern England would start to demand supply from London instead of Dublin. They had prepared publicity material to emphasise their English roots during the Falklands crisis but had not used it. Guinness urged diplomats to press the Irish government to speak out against the IRA and remind people that the Irish people were opposed to violence.

In addition to the potential impact on its business, Guinness was also directly affected by the IRA's activities. In 1986, Jennifer Guinness, a member of the Guinness brewing family, was kidnapped in Dublin and held captive by an armed gang for eight days before being rescued by the police.

Guinness and the Diageo merger

The Guinness beer company has been around for centuries and is one of the most well-known and successful alcohol brands worldwide. It originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness in Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. In 1997, Guinness plc merged with Grand Metropolitan to form the multinational alcoholic-drinks producer Diageo plc, based in London. The merger created a company with leading brands including Guinness, Smirnoff, Baileys liqueur, Captain Morgan rum, and Tanqueray and Gordon's gin.

The formation of Diageo was driven by executives from both companies, including Anthony Greener and Philip Yea from Guinness, and George Bull and John McGrath from Grand Metropolitan. Anthony Greener became the first executive chairman of the newly merged entity. The name "Diageo" was invented by the branding consultancy Wolff Olins, combining the Latin word "dies" (meaning "day") and the Greek root "geo-" (meaning "earth"), reflecting the company slogan, "Celebrating Life, Every Day, Everywhere."

Following the merger, Diageo owned several non-core assets, including food brands and hotels. The company gradually disposed of these assets to focus on beverages as its core business. For example, in 2000, Diageo sold the Pillsbury Company to General Mills, and in 2002, it sold the Burger King fast-food chain.

The merger also led to some changes in Guinness's operations. Due to the controversy over the merger, Guinness was maintained as a separate entity within Diageo, retaining the rights to the Guinness brand and associated trademarks. In 2005, Guinness closed its Park Royal, London brewery, and moved the production of all Guinness sold in the UK and Ireland to the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin.

In recent years, Diageo has continued to expand its global presence, acquiring alcohol businesses in various countries and investing in new facilities. Despite speculation about a potential exit from the beer market, Diageo has denied such plans, and Guinness remains a significant part of its portfolio.

Guinness and the harp logo

The harp, which is the emblem of Guinness, is based on a famous 14th-century Irish harp known as the "O'Neill" or "Brian Boru" harp. This harp is now preserved in the Library of Trinity College Dublin. The harp has been synonymous with Guinness since 1862 when it was used as a symbol on the first bottle label for Guinness. It was registered as a Guinness company trademark in 1876.

The harp is also the official national emblem of the Republic of Ireland and can be found on the Republic's coinage. However, there is a difference between the Irish government harp and the Guinness harp. As Guinness had trademarked the harp symbol in 1876, the Irish Free State Government of 1922 had to turn the official government harp the other way around so that it could be differentiated from the trademarked Guinness harp. The Guinness Harp always appears with its straight edge (the soundboard) to the left, and the government harp is always shown with its straight edge to the right.

It is because of the harp trademark that the Guinness company named its first lager Harp, in 1960. The harp is one of three elements that make up the Guinness brand livery. The other two elements are the word "Guinness" and Arthur Guinness's famous signature.

The harp symbol was also featured on Irish flags during the 1916 Easter Rising.

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