This piece was originally published on LaoisToday in February of this year.
TikTok isn’t exactly new but it is certainly the latest craze to sweep the internet.
For the non-initiated amongst us (and that included most of the LaoisToday office before this week) – it is a bit like Vine, based on sharing video.
TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming.
It is used to create short lip-sync, comedy, and talent videos.
The app was launched in 2017 for iOS and Android in markets outside of China.
The app allows users to create short music and lip-sync videos of 3 to 15 seconds and short looping videos of 3 to 60 seconds.
It’s like Instagram in the sense that you can follow people and like their videos – and like in the old Instagram days, you can see how many likes they get.
Anyway, Laois people have taken to the app in their droves and we simply had to honour their efforts.
We put a shout-out for nominations over on our Instagram account and were inundated with suggestions of which Laois people make the best TikToks.
We have Laois hurlers, some very funny teenagers and a man who can make his cows talk!
Check out our Top 20 Laois TikTok-ers below:
20 – Rebecca Delaney
Rebecca (19) lives in Portlaoise and is currently studying in University of Limerick.
Rebecca’s TikToks are wacky and include all of her friends antics, she definitely makes our top 20.
@beccadelaney7♬ Stoopid – 6ix9ine – nenegangforever
19 – Jamie Gill
TikTok is huge in Castletown and Jamie is the first of three people from the village to make the list.
Here, he teams up with some of his friends from Mountrath CS to re-create a dance.
@originaljme#foryoupage #comedy #xyzcba♬ Lip Gloss – Lil Mama
18 – Evan Power
Slieve Bloom’s Evan Power is up next as he comes in at 18th place.
We’re not sure who poor devil in the video is – but we’re pretty sure he didn’t make it to training!
@evanpower3Good morning #fyp #foryoupage♬ Good Morning – Mak Sauce
17 – Emily Blake
Emily (20) is from Portlaoise and is currently studying mental health nursing in Trinity College Dublin.
Emily’s TikToks are hilarious and definitely capture the student life.
@blakeem_#foryoupage♬ original sound – user1838707021359
16 – Hannah ?
This girl is hilarious but we only have her first name, can anyone help us out?
Her re-enactment of a famous scene from Derry Girls is class!
@hanzb57I’m very bored if you can’t tell #derrygirls♬ original sound – hanzb57
15 – Orla Kelly
Orla (20) is from Abbeyleix and is currently studying in University of Limerick.
Orla’s TikToks are funny and creative, worthy of the number 15 spot.
@orlakelllywe got kicked out of our accom for this don’t let this flop #fyp #foryoupage♬ All Dat – Moneybagg Yo & Megan Thee Stallion
@orlakelllyanother year filled with concerts incoming #litty♬ Lemon – N.E.R.D & Rihanna
14 – Shane Buggie
Portlaoise’s Shane (19) teams up with Dan Cremin to make this hilarious TikTok among his other videos.
Shane is currently studying in University of Limerick – but he may have a career in film when that’s over!
@bugglaMy friend lost his balls for this #fyp #foruyou #foryouppage #foryou #lmao♬ Last Christmas (Single Version) – Wham!
13 – Colin McEvoy
Teenager Colin McEvoy from Portlaoise is the youngest member of our list but he got a flood of nominations.
His TikToks are usually sport related and this one is very impressive!
@colinmcevoyy1st time ????♬ Ride It – DJ Regard
12 – Seamus McLoughlin
Seamus McLoughlin loves farming and that is what the majority of his TikToks are about.
From Emo, Seamus’ take on what it feels like driving a tractor is funny.
@seamus_mcloughlin#culchie #foru #foryou♬ original sound – 3.points
11 – Lisa Butler
Rathdowney’s Lisa Butler channels her inner Eddie Murphy for this one and it is wonderful!
Her re-enactment of a scene from ‘Coming To America’ is very good!
@lisabutler36♬ original sound – sandcastle81
10 – Conor Walsh
Conor plays football and hurling for Castletown and makes hilarious TikToks on the side making our top 10.
Anyone who has done the Leaving Cert in the past few years can relate to this TikTok.
@conorwalsh12And that’s on not being able to lip sync #fypage #fyp #mocks #leavingcert #irish #2ez #hughmoore♬ Follow me for clear skin or else – zacksmells
9 – Niall Bennett
Inside the top ten we go where we come to Camross teenager Niall Bennett.
This video gives any woman an insight into how to find a way into his heart!
@okayyoukindaheatdoeShe’s a wifey ???♬ sunburned plot twist – sunburnedasian
8 – Seorsia Jack
Seorsia or Sia Babez (19) is from Portlaoise and you probably recognise her from The X Factor having won the show with her band members from Real Like You last year.
Follow Seorsia’s TikTok account if you want see more from the band.
@itssiababezMix it up..????#fyp #fy virginiahampson♬ Wasabi – Little Mix
7 – Mary Rose Simpson
Stradbally native Mary Rose Simpson actually has the most amount of followers of anyone on this list – almost 250,000.
The video below has over 3 million views and comes from the Electric Picnic last year where she attempted to reunite a stranger with a missing piece of his attire!
@maryrosesimpsonEP Cinderella moment…come back in 24hrs to see if it’s a match #cinderellamoment #electricpicnic♬ EP CINDERELLA MOMENT – maryrosesimpson
@maryrosesimpsonDuet your reaction ? !!! #NoShadeNoShip ? David’s now on tiktok thanx 2 fyp Epcinderellaman #EP19♬ Part 2 EP CINDERELLA MOMENT – maryrosesimpson
6 – Eddie Dowling
Clough-Ballacolla man Eddie Dowling just misses out on a place in the top five – and he is unlucky.
The hurling mad farmer has a take on a Taylor Swift song that we’re not sure she’d appreciate!
@nedzerdowling94#seeya #fyp #foryoupage #irish #laois #hurling♬ Crystal Dolphin – Engelwood
@nedzerdowling94#fyp #foryoupage #irish♬ I dont know about you ctmd1992 – ctmd1992
5 – Tadgh Cuddy
Into the top five we go and up next is Castletown’s third representative – Tadgh Cuddy.
The 2019 Laois minor hurling captain plays a game with the letters in his name and we’ll say no more…
@tadhgcuddyI should really be studying for mocks lol #fyp #irish #tadhg #laois #xzyabc♬ original sound – tadhgcuddy
4 – Ryan McCarthy
Ryan is from the Portarlington area and he gives us life lessons from the past on how hard it used to be.
We’re sure everyone of you reading this will have got versions of lectures like these over the years!
@ryanomccarthyLow-key going to flip if this doesn’t go viral #irish #irishcomedy♬ original sound – ryanomccarthy
3 – Conor Nutley & Brian McBride (Totoleenuts)
Conor and Brian are from Portarlington and have teamed up to make videos for the one account ‘Totoleenuts’ and they have amassed more than 100,000 followers.
Their videos are hilarious and have millions of views between them.
@totoleenutsGiver her credit for tryin haha♬ Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder
@totoleenutsAlmost 100k♬ Ye Olde Beat Drop – who.is.bs
@totoleenutsI know I’m not the only one ? who can relate ? #fyp♬ Say So – Doja Cat
2 – John Shiel
John (27) is from Raheen and is a devoted farmer. John has tried to make the most of the calving season by making some TikToks one of which has gone viral.
Despite being able to make his animals talk, he just narrowly misses out on the top spot.
@john7shiel#farm #calf #irishfarm #agrispec #dairy #farming♬ Hey! What? – iambannd
@john7shiel#farming #agrispec #dairy #irishfarm #cows♬ #Me at the concert – #someonelikeyou
1 – Jack Kelly, Jake Creagh and Kevin O’Dea
And so we come to number one – and there really could only be one winner in this contest (or three as the case may be).
Rathdowney-Errill trio of Jack Kelly, Jake Creagh and Kevin O’Dea are hilarious. Kelly was nominated for an All-Star last year after a string of fine displays with the Laois senior hurlers and he’s not too shabby with the dance moves either!
@jackkelly95♬ I will find the hood – wrytzy
@jackkelly95♬ Lip Gloss – Lil Mama
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