Irish dance and identity politics on TikTok.

During the COVID-19 pandemic TikTok became a vibrant virtual space to circulate dance performances and challenges when other forms of movement were heavily restricted. A new generation of Irish dancers joined the app to share their choreographies and creativity, bringing this form of Irish culture to young global audiences. Evident as part of this trend were new mediations of Irishness attached to the cultural concerns of Gen Z (primary users of the TikTok app). African American Irish dancer, Morgan Bullock, provides an informative case study on the tensions that emerge between national Irish and diasporic identities. Articulations of Ireland as especially inclusive are explored through a range of popular culture productions including viral short videos, comment sections, television series and dance performances. These explorations reveal layers of meaning attached to "being Irish" through the contestations and negotiations of Irish identity in online spaces. The article concludes that while performances of inclusion carry considerable weight in virtual spaces like TikTok, this is not for the most part reflected in the social and political policies that shape the everyday experiences of people of colour living and working in Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]