Guinness
The first identifiable member of the Guinness family, “Richard Guinis”, was born in Ireland in about 1690. The question of Richard’s ancestry has long been a source of debate amongst genealogists. In 2000 Patrick Guinness, son of Desmond and Marigna, co-founders of the Irish Georgian Society, initiated a DNA test to settle the dispute. The results, compiled by the University of Dublin, confirmed the Guinness bloodline’s genetic affiliation with the Gaelic sept of Magennis of Co. Down. It seems likely Richard or his father dropped the “Mac” from the surname and converted to the Protestant church to avoid discrimination under the anti-Catholic Penal Laws
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