In a world where singers, reality stars, and comedians are being discovered on TikTok, Kayleigh Bealin also made it work in her favor, but for a job, you might not expect.
The former make-up artist made videos about how to research your Irish history just for a bit of fun.
But her work caught the attention of Epic man, Darragh Doyle and she now spends her days working in the Irish Family History Centre in Dublin’s Custom House.
She told Dublin Live: “I used to be a make-up artist for film and television and I’m doing a master's course in genealogy at the moment.
“I started my TikTok page just to put videos up about Irish resources because there’s not that many people on TikTok doing genealogy - so I just wanted to make them for fun.
Kayleigh's TikTok page got some attention, and she received an email about a job opening. Soon, the make-up artist had her dream job as a genealogist.
While many would think being a make-up artist for film and TV would be full extremely glamorous, Kayleigh says her new role is just as exciting.
“When you see the moment a client is hit with the mark of something you found- maybe it’s something they’ve heard their whole life that has been confirmed and you just see their face light up.
“Finding a concrete connection to someone’s family is the best part. I’ve worked with children of adoption and to be able to help someone with something as personal as that is amazing.
“You go through a whole range of emotions when you’re helping someone connect with their past, it’s really gratifying.”RELATED ARTICLES
Kayleigh says her clients can get emotional about the answers they get about their family's past.
She said: “I’ve seen a lot of people who are in their 50s or 60s and their parents have passed away. They feel that they didn’t get the chance to ask the questions that they wanted to.
“Even though they’re finding out about generations way before their parents, it’s this connection to this parent that passed away. It feels like they gained back a part of the parent they lost.
“They could find out about a secret family member or a tragedy and there’s an overwhelming feeling.
“I've met people who’ve had a lifetime occupation and then they find out a great grandparent had the same job and that sets them off. Most people seem surprised about how emotional they get, it’s really personal and you’re finding out about why you’re alive basically.
Kayleigh believes her work is going to become extremely valuable in the years ahead as Ireland feels the full effects of the Mother and Baby Homes.
“Between the 1930s and 1970’s Catholic Ireland really split families up like the Mother and Baby Homes and illegal adoptions.
“Before that, Catholic Ireland was fantastic for genealogists because they were obsessed with where the parents of the baby married because they didn’t want illegitimate children but in the middle of the 20th Century the likes of the laundries, homes, and illegal adoptions separated families but now because of DNA, a lot of it has been overcome.
“There’ll be a bigger focus on people using DNA to solve those mysteries in the next 20 or 30 years. It’ll be the grown-up children who are coming to the end of their life who’ll want answers.”