From bog-preserved fashion to how Rock Shandy got its name, Ireland’s past is trending on TikTok as a new generation of casual history buffs use fun, bite-sized content to make it more interesting and accessible Content creator Jane Casey at the Ballybrack dolmen. Photo: Steve Humphreys It all started, says Jane Casey, with a walk in the Dublin mountains. “I wish I could say I planned it, but no — it was pure chance,” she says.
“I came across a 4,000-year-old wedge tomb in the middle of the woods. I love history, but I wouldn’t call myself academic; it’s just something I’m interested in — people’s lives, and all the people who came before us. I filmed a video for my brothers and I put it up on TikTok, just to show them, and, to my surprise, it got something like 7,000 views.
So I thought, ‘If I actually put effort into this, and present these fun little history things in a way that’s accessible to people, then maybe people will connect with it a little bit more.’” Casey ( @janecasey.ie ) is one of several Irish ‘social media historians’ who have generated a loyal following over the past year or so on Instagram and TikTok.
Her short, snappy and informative videos have documented everything from those aforementioned ancient tombs, to the etymology of Irish streets and places, and even social history — like how Rock Shandy got its name. The Bray native studied journalism at college before moving into a career in digital and social media marketin.