WHILE Belfast’s Anthony Boyle portrays Arthur Guinness, wealthy heir to the Guinness family’s brewing empire along with his brother, Edward (Louis Partridge), in House of Guinness, Cushendun-born actor Seamus O’Hara’s Patrick Cochrane represents a very different side of Irish life in the late 19th century.
Passionately committed to the Irish republican cause, Cochrane has the charisma to fire up crowds and lead them into fights against the Guinnesses and the rest of the ruling Anglo-Irish aristocracy.
A hot-headed man, Cochrane is quick to anger - but in his devotion to sister, Ellen (Niamh McCormack), we witness a lighter, more vulnerable side to one of the series’ most memorable characters.
We quizzed Seamus O’Hara about his role in one of this year’s biggest new shows...
What can you tell us about Patrick Cochrane?
Patrick Cochrane is the leader of the Fenians — a revolutionary nationalist group operating in Ireland, as well as America and Britain.
They were essentially a global group whose main aim was to attain Irish freedom from Britain, and remove themselves from the United Kingdom after the Act of Union in 1800.
My character is interested in disrupting the status quo. He wants to bring down the Guinness family and the ascendancy.
He’s deeply invested in Irish culture and politics and wants to revive those things in a way that gives the people of Ireland some sense of ownership over their own destinies.
As the leader of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, how does Cochrane feel about the Guinness family?
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.
This was an impoverished Ireland, partly due to the policies of Britain — and the Fenians and the IRB recognised the Guinnesses as enemies.
They were people who controlled all the wealth and power. There was such a huge disparity between the enormous wealth the brewery was amassing and the really shocking poverty that existed in Dublin and across Ireland.
The Guinnesses represent everything that had gone wrong with the colonial experiment in Ireland.
There was such a huge disparity between the enormous wealth the Guinness brewery was amassing and the really shocking poverty that existed in Dublin and across Ireland
— Seamus O'Hara
Yet Cochrane still likes to drink Guinness?
Yeah - but he only drinks stolen Guinness.
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.
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.
Do you think the show does justice to this part of Irish history?
Yes, it’s a very unique moment in Irish history. It was post-Act of Union, just after the famine, which shaped Irish identity in so many ways. The show explores that quite sensitively.
I’m really glad those aspects are included — they’re usually seen as too difficult or too political to touch.
But, with Steven Knight’s writing and the commitment from this cast and crew, we’ve tried to offer a really honest, human account of what happened.
The show touches on so many aspects — Ireland, Britain, America — and gives each one proper weight and time. It’s an astounding achievement.
What Steven and the team have managed to put on paper it’s brilliant.
Read more: ‘There’s so much more to come’ - House of Guinness creator Steven Knight teases second series
What made you want to be part of House of Guinness in the first place?
Two words: Steven Knight. I’m a massive fan. The worlds he creates, the stories he tells — his writing is extraordinary.
When we first met the cast, we were all saying how visual the scripts were, you could see the show unfolding in your mind as you read. That’s rare.
So yeah, when you get a call saying there’s a Steven Knight script - I was jumping.
What is Patrick’s relationship with his sister Ellen like?
They seem like two sides of the same coin. Ellen is probably Patrick’s most important relationship in the entire show.
They’re extremely close. They grew up together in very difficult times, and they really rely on each other, but they’re also very different people.
Ellen represents the strategic, pragmatic, intelligence-based approach to achieving their cause. Patrick represents the muscle, anger, and fury that many people felt at the time.
That sums up Irish nationalism, in a way — it’s always been an extremely pragmatic cause. Irish nationalists understood that, to get what they wanted, they’d have to talk to and work with people perceived as their enemies.
What was it like working with Niamh McCormack?
Niamh is extraordinary. We’re good friends and we’ve worked together before. As soon as I found out she was playing my sister, we were straight on the phone talking about our ideas.
She’s an extremely diligent, hard-working, studious actor. She’d read a lot of material and done loads of research.
Between that and my own prep, we organically developed a backstory, built out their connection and dynamic, and painted those images in our minds.
It helped deepen that relationship on screen. I’m a huge fan of Niamh.
Cochrane quickly becomes a target for the Guinnesses’ ‘fixer’, Rafferty [James Norton] What’s their dynamic like?
The dynamic is like two rams butting heads. They both represent the muscle for their respective causes.
Rafferty cleans up the messes the Guinness family don’t want to deal with or be seen to handle. Patrick does the same for his cause, taking care of the dirty, dangerous work.
I’ve been a fan of James Norton for years, so getting to work with him has been a joy. He’s a gifted actor, and on a personal level he’s really kind, open and generous with his guidance and support.
The series utilises immersive sets to recreate 1890s Dublin. What was it like filming on them?
The sets on this job are incredible — they take your breath away.
As actors, we rely so much on imagination and listening, but when you’re standing on sets like these, you don’t need to imagine. It’s all there — detailed, real, alive.
Every actor comes off those sets saying, “We can’t believe how lucky we are to get to do this.”
What was it like walking through the Guinness brewery set for the first time?
The scale of it. That’s what really hits you. It gives you a sense of how big this show is — the layers, the colours, the textures, the smells, the sounds.
It all helps you inhabit your character. The costume, the hair, the set — they’re all building blocks. And when you’re working with some of the best people in the business, you feel in safe hands.
By the time they’ve pieced you together, and you step onto that set, you feel ready to work.
How did your costume contribute to your character?
I love my costume. It’s full of earthy tones, greens, oranges, autumnal colours. Very grounded. That’s what we, as a people, would’ve worn.
There’s a long coat I wear that does most of the acting work for me — I absolutely love it. Wearing that on those sets, you really do feel like you are that person, living in that time. It’s incredibly transporting.
What’s it been like working on House of Guinness overall?
We’re genuinely in love with this production — the scripts, the stories, the characters, the people. It’s been a really happy set. No one wants it to end — we’re having so much fun, and it’s been a really creative, rewarding space to be in. We just hope some of that translates to audiences.
I’ve studied and performed Irish history my whole career, and even I learned things on this job that I didn’t know. It’s informative, educational — but it’s also entertaining. It re-examines the relationship between Ireland and Britain, the Diaspora, all of it.
I think people are going to love it. I really hope they do as much as we have.
Be honest: how much Guinness have you been drinking on set?
I’d be interested to see the final tally at the end of production! There was one week where we had to drink a lot of Guinness — 0.0 Guinness, of course.
And honestly? It’s really nice. Nobody minded.
So, you’re a Guinness fan yourself?
Yeah. When I go home, I enjoy the odd proper pint of the black stuff in Cushendun. In my opinion, they serve the best pint of Guinness in Ireland.
All eight episodes of House of Guinness will be available on Netflix from September 25
