Bodhran

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.

Despite existing for thousands of years, the first early appearances of the bodhrán drum were featured in paintings from the early nineteenth century, whilst in contemporary culture, the earliest recordings began to appear on the music scene in the 1960s.

The name bodhrán comes from Gaelic and is believed to translate to the words 'skin tray'. This is probably accurate, given the Celtic instruments' use in its earliest incarnations.

The first mentions and uses of the bodhrán drum make it clear that the bodhrán was a tool first, musical instrument second. Originally a flat wide vessel, the bodhrán has been used to carry peat.