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The main branch of Antrim MacAulays has spread throughout the world, especially prominent in the United States. It appears as though this family descends from one male who found his way to County Antrim in the 1300s BEFORE surnames were adopted. At some point, the surname MacAulay became attached to this line, and all Y DNA surname matches are descended from this man. Y DNA data point to this original pre-surname ancestor as having come from southern Scotland or possibly northern England in the 1300s or so.
One major piece of data is a Y DNA match who looks to be pre-surname that traces back to a family who lived in Ayrshire, in southern Scotland. This may match up with a well-documented historical event. In 1315, a campaign by Edward Bruce (brother of Robert the Bruce of Scotland) was initiated. The King of Tyrone (Domnall mac Brian O'Neill) had requested aid from the Scottish Crown due to Norman incursions to the southeast, east, and west. The Bruce brothers agreed in exchange for support and envisaged themselves as separate rulers of Ireland and Scotland. The Scottish Parliament met at Ayr on 26 April 1315, just across the North Channel from Antrim. As King Robert did not yet have a legitimate son, Edward was proclaimed his legal heir and successor as King of Scots and all other titles in case of his death. Edward's invasion fleet also mustered there, having received calls to assemble as far back as at least the previous month. It is conceivable that one of the soldiers mustered in Ayr and part of the invasion force could have been the ancestor of the MacAulays of Antrim. Further details of this event and the outcome can be studied at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_campaign_in_Ireland.
More research and expanded Y DNA testing needs to be done to explore this possibility. All other Y DNA pre-surname matches for this group within the last 1,000 years all trace back to the north of England or south of Scotland. That area was formerly called the Independent Kingdom of Strathclyde, also referred to as "The Old North", which came under Scottish and English rule in the late 11th century.
One major piece of data is a Y DNA match who looks to be pre-surname that traces back to a family who lived in Ayrshire, in southern Scotland. This may match up with a well-documented historical event. In 1315, a campaign by Edward Bruce (brother of Robert the Bruce of Scotland) was initiated. The King of Tyrone (Domnall mac Brian O'Neill) had requested aid from the Scottish Crown due to Norman incursions to the southeast, east, and west. The Bruce brothers agreed in exchange for support and envisaged themselves as separate rulers of Ireland and Scotland. The Scottish Parliament met at Ayr on 26 April 1315, just across the North Channel from Antrim. As King Robert did not yet have a legitimate son, Edward was proclaimed his legal heir and successor as King of Scots and all other titles in case of his death. Edward's invasion fleet also mustered there, having received calls to assemble as far back as at least the previous month. It is conceivable that one of the soldiers mustered in Ayr and part of the invasion force could have been the ancestor of the MacAulays of Antrim. Further details of this event and the outcome can be studied at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_campaign_in_Ireland.
More research and expanded Y DNA testing needs to be done to explore this possibility. All other Y DNA pre-surname matches for this group within the last 1,000 years all trace back to the north of England or south of Scotland. That area was formerly called the Independent Kingdom of Strathclyde, also referred to as "The Old North", which came under Scottish and English rule in the late 11th century.