‘The Union Star’ was a militantly republican newspaper
published by the United Irishmen in Dublin. The paper specialised in publishing
the details of British spies, informers and other traitors operating in the
capital.
Included in one recently unearthed edition from 1798, is the
following very interesting entry:
‘Guinness- a brewer at
James’s- gate, an active spy. United Irishmen will be cautious of dealing with
any publican that sells his drink.’
The United Irishmen had reason to believe that Arthur
Guinness, the ‘land agent’ come famous brewer, was a British spy. They further
warned that republicans should be wary of any publican that did business with
him, knowing that an informers work could be made much easier by 'pub talk' and the consumption of alcohol.
While we may never know exactly what role Arthur Guinness played
on behalf of the British State in Ireland, we do know that the Guinness family
have long been pro- British Loyalists, what would later become known as ‘Irish
Unionists’. We also know that Arthur Guinness was ‘directly opposed to any
movement towards Irish Independence’.
It has always been
known that he was hostile to the radical and progressive vision of the United
Irishmen, and that openly he condemned the 1798 Rebellion. It now appears that
not only was he opposed to Irish independence, he was actively working against
it, gathering information on Dublin based revolutionaries on behalf of the
British administration.
So if your raising a glass to Arthur this September 26,
remember you will be toasting a man that the United Irishmen believed was an active
British spy, who worked to undermine any possibility of Irish Independence.
To Arthur?
I don’t think so.
