Where it Began

Where It Began

I didn’t grow up Irish. I didn’t imagine I’d write a book about Guinness.

But a few years ago, I fell in love with Ireland. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t sudden. It happened slowly—through visits to see my daughter, through long walks and quiet conversations, and through something that took root without asking for permission.

Ireland didn’t just feel beautiful. It felt familiar.

When I came home, something followed me. And I didn’t fully understand it until I stepped into a little Irish pub not far from my house. It wasn’t just the Guinness (though yes, it was poured right). It was the space. The tone. The silence between things.

It was the feeling that somehow, something meaningful could rise up from the quiet.

The First Spark

The entire quest started with a search, a Google search:

Role of Guinness in Irish History

Sure, there were plenty of pages that came up, but my search was triggered by my unmistakable sense that Guinness connected with me in a way that was more than just physical but emotional, that my sense of desire to understand more about Ireland, the Irish and and their culture always seemed to include Guinness in the quest. That then let me to write an outline of the things that I thought should be addressed to answer my search fully.

That outline became my table of contents, and I drafted that day the origin of the prologue to the book.

Why I Kept Going

Once the idea took hold, it didn’t let go. I started writing, not to prove anything—but to understand what was happening.

What I found along the way were voices—real people who had their own stories. Some were born into this culture. Some found their way in from the outside, like I did. But all of them carried something with them. A ritual. A pint. A moment. A place that meant more than just a bar.

And slowly, Pints and Power began to take shape.

Not as a collection of facts.
Not as a travelogue.
But as a lived story about what happens when something ordinary—like a glass of stout—becomes something transformative.

Why I'm Telling It

This book isn’t just about Guinness. It’s about ritual. Belonging. The quiet ways we make meaning in the margins of our lives.

And it started with one night. One pint. One spark.

If you’ve ever had a moment like that—one that didn’t ask for attention, but changed something in you—I think you’ll find yourself somewhere in these pages.

Thanks for being here.

— Mike

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