Benjamin Lee Guinness was the grandson of the founder of Guinness stout. As a result of running St. James Gate Brewery from 1839 until his death in 1868, he became Ireland’s richest person. Fortunately, he was also a philanthropist. In appreciation for his role as the major benefactor of St Patrick’s Cathedral’s restoration in the mid-19th century, this bronze statue by John Henry Foley was erected on the church’s grounds in 1875.
