The bodhrán is one of Ireland's oldest traditional musical instruments. The bodhrán is the iconic Irish drum, one of a small select family of Celtic instruments that is stated to pre-date Christianity ...

When Cathy Jordan went on stage at this year’s TG4 Gradam Ceoil concert it was as amhránaí na bliana – singer of the year. But she closed the event accompanying herself on the bodhrán, so putting the ...

There’s an old joke that goes, “What’s the best way to play a bodhrán? With a penknife.” The slag is reputed to have come from the piper Séamus Ennis – infuriated by beginners buying a bodhrán at a ...

A drama by famous Kerry writer John B Keane played a major role in the bodhrán’s rise from household container to staple of traditional Irish music. The bodhrán is now so synonymous with Irish music ...

When percussionist and filmmaker Ruairí Glasheen delves into the history and origins of the bodhrán in his new four-part documentary about the drum often hailed as the heartbeat of Irish music, what ...