Beating Time – The Story of the Irish Bodhrán is Fintan Vallely’s latest book and in it he conducts a hugely comprehensive investigation into the background of the bodhrán in Ireland – a ‘cold-case’ ...

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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 ...

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 ...

There is not a great deal of information about the bodhran and its history, probably because the drum hasn't really changed much over time. It resembles a large tambourine without the jingling parts ...

A new book explores how the bodhrán became a popular musical instrument in surprisingly recent times John B Keane playing a bodhrán alongside its maker Sonny Canavan in a Newsround segment aired in ...

There’s no other way to describe Malachy Kerns. I honestly feel that music is in his blood. For 35 years he has been known as a master bodhran maker in Ireland. This has been his life’s focus — not ...

A HEAVILY tattooed pair of bodhran players are drumming up huge support in Malmo ahead of tomorrow's Eurovision finals. Colm Farrell and Alan McGrath are tasked with ensuring the Irish entry dances to ...