Who is Ivana Lowell? This is the Guinness family descendant who came up with the idea for the Netflix series

With millions of pints poured a day and the brand exposure to make nation states jealous, Guinness has never been more popular for those not resident on the island of Ireland. And so, like all good slices of the zeitgeist, it’s got its own Netflix show, to be premiered at the end of the month.

Ivana Lowell, a descendant of the renowned Guinness brewing family, has ventured into the world of television as the creator and executive producer of the upcoming drama series, House of Guinness.

Premiering on September 25, 2025, the series delves into the tumultuous aftermath of Sir Benjamin Guinness’s death in 1868, exploring the ensuing power struggles among his children over the family empire.

Born into a lineage dipped in both privilege and controversy, Lowell is the daughter of novelist Lady Caroline Blackwood and granddaughter of Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, one of the “Glorious Guinness Girls” celebrated in 20th-century society (say that after a few pints of the good stuff).

The inspiration for House of Guinness struck Lowell during a family Christmas gathering in Castletown House, County Kildare. She realised that her own family’s history was, in her words to the BBC, “juicier and more interesting” than the Downton Abbey (I’m trying really hard not to make a ‘paint/drying’ comment).

Motivated by this revelation, she wrote up a 20-page treatment that eventually caught the attention of Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders. Knight collaborated with Lowell to bring this compelling family saga to the screen.

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The series is set against the backdrop of 19th-century Dublin and New York, portraying the Guinness family’s rise to prominence and the internal politics; the BBC wrote that “the plot will remind some viewers of Succession" as it explores “the political tumult fuelled by the dominance of the prosperous Protestant elite over the impoverished Catholic majority.” It airs on Netflix on 25 September.

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