Speaker Contact

Barry R McCain is a writer, researcher, and speaker, living in Oxford, Mississippi. He has a degree in history from Ole Miss and has been researching his family's genealogy for over 40 years.  He has travelled extensively in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, and is a Gaelic speaker. He is the administrator of the Ulster Heritage DNA Project, the Scots-Irish DNA project, and the Mid Argyll Group DNA project.

His talks are on Ulster, West Highland and Scots-Irish, history and genetic genealogy. His sessions range from an hour to workshops for festivals, Highland or Irish Games, etc. His talks appeal to a wide variety of audiences with varying interests and levels of understanding. Topics include how to set up a Y-DNA project, how to analyze kinship match groups, and  historical topics.

Media and Speaking Engagements:

• April 2015  Memphis TN Scottish Society, Book signing and talk.
• Speaker Ulster American Heritage Symposium (University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia), June 2014.
• June 2012, Speaker Ulster American Heritage Symposium, Omagh, County Tyrone, N Ireland.
• December 2010, BBC program Kist o Wurds Program, BBC Northern Ireland, December.
• July 2008, Presenter at the Ulster American Heritage Symposium, Omagh, County Tyrone, N Ireland.
• July 2006, Presenter at the Ulster American Heritage Symposium, Knoxville TN.
• December 2005, Traveller’s Way album, producer and performer.
• October 2005-With the Oak Ridge Boys, Ford Centre for the Performing Arts, Oxford MS.
• September 2004, Sin É program, Dublin, Ireland.
• 2002-2005- Music on the Old Natchez Trace,  Interpretive talks and concerts for The National Park Service, Natchez Trace Visitor’s Centre, Tupelo Mississippi.
• October 2004, The Country Céili Show, with Tommy Sands.
• October 2003, Samhain, A radio program on the Celtic traditions of Halloween, The Museum Matter’s Program, broadcast on WNAU, New Albany MS..

 

Published work:

• Finding the McCains, a Scots-Irish Odyssey; ISBN 978-0-9855876-4-2, March 2015.
• The Laggan Redshanks, The Highland Scots in West Ulster, 1569-1630; ISBN 978-0-9855876-2-8, Ulster Heritage Publishing; July 2012.
• Fall 2010, Treasure Each Voice, 400 years of English, Irish, and Ulster Scots from Stranorlar, co author
• Fall 2009, The Scots-Irish, The Rest of the Story, Highlander Magazine
• Ulster Heritage Magazine, lead writer and editor, 2008-2014
• McCain’s Corner, monthly column, Finn Valley Voice, Ballybofey, County Donegal, Ireland, 2008
• The Trouble With McCain, Nov/Dec 2007, The Highlander Magazine
• The McCain DNA Project, the Electric Scotland internet magazine, 2005
• The McCain DNA Project, The Family Tree Magazine, Feb 2004
• The Irish McDonnells, March/April 1995 By Land By Sea Magazine.
• The Stranger Gael, Sept/Oct 1993 The Highlander Magazine
• The Bodachan, Nov/Dec 1993 The Highlander Magazine
• The Gallóglaigh Jan/Feb 1994 The Highlander Magazine