New World Celts

Michael, of Scottish (Dunlop. Jordan) and Irish descent (Gallagher, Costelow) was the Founder of the

New World Celts, along with Jim Burgess, Paul Yumlu, Collin King, and Bill Howard. He is Vice President of the Clan Dunlop/Dunlap Family Society and currently also holds the Clan Dunlop offices of High Commissioner, Webmaster, and Historian. Mike, a life member of the Dunedin Scottish-American Society, also served on the Dunedin Highland Games Committee and has created websites for the Dunedin Highland Games , the Tampa Bay Highland Games, Clan Dunlop, Sarasota Highland Games and the NWC. A US Navy Vietnam veteran and avid history buff, Michael has visited many historical sites... among them his namesake town, Dunlop, Scotland; the Roslyn Chapel near Edinburgh, Rome, Athens, Malta, France, Spain, Portugal, Crete, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Hawaii, China, Philippines, Japan, Mexico, and Canada among others. Mike founded the "Barbarians at the Gate" a volunteer kilted security service used at Dunedin events.

The fledgling NWC was Mike's idea, which the original 10 Celts accepted and then developed into the current fast-growing benevolent society. Mike, the first President, was recently re-elected for his third three-year term (2008) by the membership and as International President for the NWC while chairing the President's Senate, and being a member of all committees. Mike has held many managerial positions in the Healthcare, Sales, and Insurance industries. Mike proudly wears the Dunlop tartan from the Cunningham District of East Ayrshire, Scotland.

Descended from Adam Ryburn, Glasgow Bonnet Maker, Donald proudly wears the Raeburn tartan. The Ryburn family, are a sept of Clan Boyd. They hail from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Parish Dunlop). The Ryburn mansion in Hapland was once known as Temple Ryburn having been built by the Knights Templar. The Ryburn’s fought alongside Clan Boyd in defense of the House of Stuart. They escaped during the “killing times” to Argyle, to Ulster, then America, Australia, New Zealand, India & the Caribbean.

Donald’s ancestors include the famous portrait painter Sir Henry Raeburn. Many of Donald’s ancestors distinguished themselves in the US Revolution as well as in the Confederacy. Donald’s direct ancestor William Ryburn helped blaze the Wilderness Road into Kentucky with Daniel Boone.

He is descended from the ancient kings of Scotland and Ireland through his great-great grandmother Amanda Washington, cousin to George Washington. His paternal grandmother & great-grandmother were enrolled Freedman Chickasaw Indians in Oklahoma.

Ryburn is a prolific writer and has been published in hundreds of literary journals and anthologies including: Pittsburgh Quarterly, Electric Acorn (Dublin), Poems Niedergasse (Netherlands), Bitter Oleander & Black Moon. Donald has published three books of poetry: Poetry Pathology, Olmeteca Publishing, Costa Rica (#13 Regional Best Seller List, 1995); Voce, ZeBooks Publishing, Wyoming; Stones That Crawl, Oto Publishing, Spain. (Stones won the Spain Publisher’s award for Best New Book-2003).

He has extensive experience in organizing and managing of all sizes of events; Ceilidhs, concerts, festivals, etc. Donald has been instrumental to the highly successful Lakeland Mod, 2004 & 2005 Lakeland Ceilidhs & the huge hit, Finnegan’s Wake. He previously held the offices of Lakeland VP (founding member), Lakeland President, and International VP Special Events.

Candy McKibben Barnette is of Scotch-Irish descent, and a member of Clan Buchanan, of which her family, McKibben, is a sept. In addition to McKibben, she also claims direct lineage, through her mother, to the families of Elliott, Walker, and McConnell, and to the Cox family of Wales. Not surprisingly, her heritage also includes ancestors of English descent. First and foremost, however, Candy is proud of her early American roots, which followed her Celtic ancestors' crossing of the "Big Pond". All of her great-great grandparents were born in the southeastern United States, overwhelmingly in the state of Georgia, from which she herself hails. The vast majority, if not all, of her grandparents in the preceding generations were born in the original thirteen colonies, and an untold number of Revolutionary War veterans are also among her ancestors.

Candy is a charter member of the St. Andrew's Society of Valdosta (Georgia), and served as newsletter editor of that Society for two years. Currently, she is Executive Liaison to the membership for the NWC International Board after holding the position of Recording Secretary for the International Board and Secretary of the Dunedin Chapter. She and husband Ron moved to Dunedin permanently in 2002, following his retirement from Valdosta State University. They have a son, Daron, and two daughters, Blair and Rebecca. Daron, who lives in Seattle, is a Member-at-Large (Wild Rover) of the NWC, and Rebecca is a member of the newly founded Atlanta chapter of the organization, and a member of Clan Buchanan Society International.

Mike is affiliated with the Scots Davidson Clan, from which the surname Davis derives, and which tartan he wears, along with the Clan Chattan cap badge. He brings a great amount of corporate financial experience to the organization, having been Market Manager, Product Manager, Project Manager and VP, Sales and Marketing in five different companies. Mike also has experience in two nonprofit music groups, where he served as financial manager. He plans to manage our internal accounting across all chapters for ease and efficiency.

Ron Barnette inherits his Celtic heritage from his mother, the good Eileen Morrissey, of proud Irish descent. His father’s Cherokee heritage (an 8^th, by blood) is a proud tribute to the New World. After more than 30 years as a professor of philosophy, Ron has officially ‘retired’ in delightful Dunedin, where he now is writing, consulting, and promoting Celtic awareness through philosophy and metaphysics, with talks and seminars. He received his Ph.D in Philosophy from the University of California at Irvine. Ron has chaired the Membership Committee from its inception, has inputted and maintained the membership database, and created communication channels with the individual Chapters of the NWC. Ron wears the Dunedin, Florida District tartan.

Brendan has been VP of Dunedin Chapter for years. He is of Irish descent, and proudly wears the County Mayo district tartan. Brendan works as a Production Manager at the Home Shopping Network. He has given many interviews on local TV, has done press releases and articles in the past. Brendan has successfully managed the Halfway to St Pattie's Day in Dunedin, and coordinated the Jacksonville, Fl Irish Festival NWC presence recently. Brendan now represents the NWC on the Dunedin Highland Games Committee.

Michael, son of the founding member, has been involved with the NWC from the beginning. He has designed all of the NWC logos and graphics, including the coveted "Barbarians at the Gate" t-shirts. Mike has set up the NWC On-line Store with Café Press and has designed all the products sold there. Mike is constantly designing additions to those logos and products, and is investigating alternative providers. Mike is an AutoCAD designer and a graphics designer, holding degrees and Certificates from St Petersburg College in AutoCAD and Architectural Design. He hails from two Scottish lineages, that of Dunlop and Reid/Robertson, and is of the Gallagher Irish. Mike's wife, Janie Gavula Dunlap, wears the Clark Tartan and is also of Chippewa descent.

Tom, an original member of the Lakeland Chapter, was its first President. Under his watch the Chapter grew to be the most successful Chapter of the entire NWC and remains the example of how to do things in this organization. Tom has agreed to use that expertise in helping new Chapters organize and grow, and meet our Mission Statement. His easy-going but effective management style assures us success in that endeavor. Of the Morrison Clan and the Irish Kelly, Tom is also proud of his Cherokee Native American heritage. Tom wears the Morrison Plaid.

Margaret runs the Margaret Morrison Howard School of Highland Dance in Dunedin, is Dancing Coordinator for many local Highland Games, and has taught many an accomplished Champion Highland Dancer in the Southeast USA. Margaret is also an international Judge of Highland Dance and has traveled to Canada and Scotland in that capacity. She also teaches and participates in Scottish Country Dance. An all-around outstanding resource for the NWC!

New World Celts

International Executive Committee (IEC)