Speakers

BARRY MCSTAY (@barrymcstay) is a podcaster, actor and writer from Kildare, Ireland.
Alongside Ben Van der Velde, he is co-creator of new podcast Irish History For Brits, and
the duo previously co-hosted over 300 episodes of the comedy-trivia show Worst Foot
Forward (@worstfoot) with their eclectic guests including Bake-Off Winners David Atherton
and Edd Kimber, poet Andrew McMillan and comedians like Ed Byrne and Sindhu Vee.
As an actor, he has appeared in Eastenders (BBC) on TV, Breeding (King’s Head Theatre)
on stage and he specialises in immersive theatre, with credits including The Traitors: Live
Experience, Doctor Who: Time Fracture and Phantom Peak. His work as a playwright
includes Breeding (King’s Head Theatre in association with Mark Gatiss); Vespertilio
(VAULT Festival); Bir Tawil (Druid Theatre); & Our Island (Dublin Fringe Festival). He has
been shortlisted for a Writers Guild of Ireland Award and is published by Samuel French. His
debut screen project, One More, was selected for multiple film festivals in 2024.
His voice work includes Doctor Who (BBC) and Anemone (dir. Ronan Day-Lewis) and
audiobooks for Macmillan Audio and Penguin Random House. He studied English and
History at Trinity College Dublin, where he used to be able to view the Book of Kells for free.
Aside from that, his favourite bits from a lifetime of learning Irish history include the tale of
Brendan the Navigator and the election of Mary Robinson as president.