Guinness was born at Burton Hall, Stillorgan, County Dublin, the family home, on 24 November 1858.
His sister, Lucy Madeleine Guinness, married Philip de László, the Anglo-Hungarian painter known particularly for his portraits of royal and aristocratic personages.
[4] During the Irish War of Independence Guinness arranged for the Sinn Féin led Dublin Corporation to be funded by the Bank of Ireland, as rates due from the Local Government Board had been withheld in 1920.
[6][7] He supported measures such as a regular financial system and also the proposal by W. B. Yeats for the local translation of ancient Irish manuscripts.
[2] Together, Mary and Henry were the parents of four children, including:[11][12] He lived at Burton Hall, Stillorgan, for many years.