Time to raise a glass to Dublin's other monument

In a week when Dublin acquired what architects call a "signature" monument, today marks the bicentenary of the death of a man whose actual signature promotes the city's fame world-wide.

Arthur Guinness died on January 23rd, 1803, more than four decades after founding a brewing business in St James's Street, but only four years after the firm decided to concentrate solely on the black porter named after him.

By then, his legacy was secure, if only just. His opposition to the United Irishmen - which led the drink to be nicknamed "Guinness's black Protestant porter" - and the threat of a popular boycott had inspired the start of an export business in 1796.

The initial shipment - to England - was a grand total of 6½ barrels. But Guinness had been successfully launched on the world. And two centuries after his death, the founder can rest peacefully in the knowledge that it now sells 10 million glasses a day, in 150 countries.

Guinness the man, as opposed to the drink, was born in Celbridge, Co Kildare, in 1725. He learned brewing from his father, whose duties as land steward for the Archbishop of Cashel included producing beer for workers on the estate.

After founding his own brewery in Leixlip, Arthur moved to Dublin in 1759 and signed a 9,000-year lease on St James's Gate.

He was soon busy enough for his use of water to become a vexed issue with the authorities, provoking an attempt, in 1775, to fill in the watercourse he used.

Guinness solved this problem - first by confronting the sheriff with a pick-axe, and later by agreement - and the rest was history.

Arthur Guinness had 21 children, of whom only 10 survived, but these were enough to establish the dynasty. He died in his home on Gardiner Street, aged 78.

The brewery's bicentenary was marked in 1959 with a postage stamp, but there are no State trappings for today's anniversary.

Instead, aptly, the man who spawned one of the world's greatest marketing operations will be commemorated with a TV advertisement, to be premièred tonight.