McCaffrey was born in Dublin, Ireland, and teaches Irish history and Irish literature at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is also a frequent lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. She founded and edited the literary review Wild About Wilde (1986–1996) dedicated to the works of the 19th-century Irish writer, Oscar Wilde.[1] She was the series historical consultant for the three part PBS/RTÉ program In Search of Ancient Ireland (2002) and co-author of the book of the same title.[2] This TV series, like the book, presents the history of Ireland from neolithic times to the English invasion of the 12th century.[3] McCaffrey is also the author of the book In Search of Ireland's Heroes: The Story of the Irish from the English Invasion to the Present Day (2006).[4]
McCaffrey is an Irish language speaker and frequently travels to Ireland. She lives in Mount Airy, Maryland.
