Contrary to Seamus Ennis’ much-quoted admonition that the best way to play the bodhrán was with a penknife, this percussion instrument is a much-admired and prominent feature in many Irish traditional ...

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 ...

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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 ...

The Footloose star – he’s got a ton of other stuff to his credit too, but the ‘80s dance movie will always be at the top – told RTE host Ryan Tubridy back in 2020 that he loves the Irish hand drum, ...

What to learn how to play an Irish tune? Waltons Irish Music USA is your one-stop hub for your Irish folk instrument needs in the United States and Canada. Waltons Music has been at the forefront of ...

When last we heard from our Irish adventurer, he had searched Northern Ireland for Seamus O’Kane, a famous bodhran maker, known for his quality work, his investment in each and every instrument and ...

A treasured traditional instrument has pride of place once more in a family home after a remarkable TV restoration. The bodhrán had been made by a son from his father's garden sieve. Torn, decayed and ...

for the first-ever World Bodhrán Championships. The festival is being held to promote the role of the bodhrán in traditional Irish music and is expected to attract thousands of bodhrán players and ...

Of all the instruments in traditional music, the bodhran has arguably enjoyed the most spectacular renaissance. When Paddy Moloney was forming the Chieftains in the early 1960s, he recalls that ...