What Irish Do: The Bodhrán 

He hits a bloody solid groove there at the end, no nonsense,looked like he was just getting warmed up

This guy inspired me to learn some Bodhrán playing when I saw him play in California around 2000.

There's something about Irish culture that enrapts me maybe because they were the dominant group of people I grew up with in working-class Australia and were accepting of Italian immigrants - just absolutely happy and warm memories of my childhood in their company and gives some credence to that old chestnut - 'there are two types of people - the Irish and those that wish they were':)

Ach fer fecks sake: this was brilliant, and frustrating at the same time. I was born in Ballymena, my Mother, and her mother hail from there. We moved to Scotland when I was 4. - Now - I can play guitar, and have done, in a band for many a year. I can sing pretty good, with a rather deep Baritone voice. I can play keyboard and piano, again, for as long as I can remember. I was in the army, and played a bit of pipe and side drum in the Regimental Band. Heck, I was proud to think I could pick up virtually any instrument and give me 5 minutes, could bang out a tune on it. But do y'know what? - all these years and I still couldn't get the hang of the Bodhrán. Now I don't have the dexterity of the wrists to handle it. So, what does the Bodhrán that I own do? Well, it hangs on the wall....the same as almost every other bugger that owns one does. (inserts unhappy face here)

I've heard that true bodhrans are made from the skin of an Englishman and played with the bone of a Scotsman. Just an old joke, but still funny.

That's mighty. What a talent. Hoping he can teach others so that this tradition lives on.

Excellent and humorous video! Donnchadh is a funny and talented guy!

So funny! I want to learn the Bodhran and found this video. As I was watching, I noticed "Hey that guy is wearing an Irish Empire shirt!", then all of a sudden, "Is that Colin?" Good to see your face! We almost met on our way through Dungarvan, but couldn't find a working phone booth!!

I'm learning the Bodhran and love playing it, I've tried all sorts of musical instruments but the Bodhran just seems to resonate with me, boom tshh! Thank you lol

OMG! I'm in love.... with the drums, the drummers, and the accent! Thank you so much dear men!! :))

Fantastic! Donnchadh is a friend though I haven't seen him since 2003 when my wife and I visited. He was a grand host. He even introduced me to Charlie Byrne in Turlas and I got to go into the workshop. You should see the photos of Charlie I took.

Enjoyed watching this, thanks!

Fantastic best bodhran playing. Not the standardized zomby playing of bodhran armies on their immaculate shinny drums. Destroyed drums getting the real genuine soul of the goat. Fantastic playing, Maestro. Lovely reportage. I loved it. Merci beaucoup.

Lovely ! Planning on learning how to play it .

Beautiful music

The boy's got serious chops. Respect.

The drum beat that sings to my heart.

I love this so much!

brilliant video.... thanks

Great video mate!!Big LIKE from me...

awesome to learn about this. :)

That looks like a good (fun)way to get a workout!

Superb!

This was interesting and funny! Thank you for this video.

Love!!!

problem with the venue is that SKY TV is still on - muted but on ..

necesito que alguien me traduzca este material por favor!!! estoy alucinado con el sonido del bodhran

Dungarvin, hmm. I once met a cousin of mine from Dungarvin, decades ago in the '70s. She visited New York. The last name was Stack.

Maestro is right. Donnchadh is A-mazing! Love the duct tape and barbecue skewers, too! xo

" cause I'm the son of me drunken Irish dad" yep.!!

A fine whistle player!

What am I doing wrong? Everything. 🤣

bagus sekali ! Matur suksma

At the end where they were playing in the pub all I could picture was coming in and joining them with electric guitar with distortion.

was that duct tape inside the drum?

As a red headed Irishman .I'm all in .

Any one able to tell me the name of the tune played in the opening of the video?

Does the bodhran player play with a group called Danu? I think I may have seen him with the group for a special concert for The McGrath Clan in 2019 in Dungarvan.

Amazing skills ! is it difficult to learn ???

Wow his good

who is the whistle player? anyone know?

Isn't there a support inside the bodhran to place your non-playing hand into? I've seen Caroline Corr playing it frequently. I like playing percussion yet have a paralysed right hand, that's why I ask.

he looks like old stock irish from back in the old days. very irish guy

I want to learn how to play a drumkit but the Bodhran looks significantly cheaper to buy, seems lighter to hold, and might be easier to learn than with a kit.

Greyhound skin :-D My Blarney Meter is going off nineteen to the dozen.

☺☺♥☺☺

Erin go braugh

Mmmm beer

I'd like me some Guinness 😊

Dungarvan

IM ALOT OF IRISH AND SCOTTISH BECAUSE MY LAST NAME IS MACDONALD AND THE HIGH RULER OF SCOTLAND IS CLAN MACDONALD THATS WHY MY LAST NAME IS MACDONALD BECAUSE IM SCOTTISH

Bodhrán means Deafener - in English.

What the Irish do?.."………. Hmmmm…….. wait I am still thinking"……………let me get back to you

ahh jesus christ..........lol.....brilliant

Such a skill A+

I’m sorry but soon as he mentioned a greyhound skin I’m away

I love the music myself . But going from boat to boat like that is a no no . That's why you have docks to walk on,, Much love from from the US .

It is pronounced WITH a TH sound. Not WIT

There’s no real evidence it was played before 1914,

goat skin or greyhound skin - yeah....I'm out.....

Ireland return to your Catholic Church,teach your children the faith,don't let Liberalism in our country.

An drum to play when you have no musical talent

Oh dear, the usual bullshit condensed into the first couple of lines of presenting. No, the Bodhran is not the "native drum of the celts". There is and was never a celtic nation, unified culture or history. History is more complex and interesting than this ethno-nationalist drivel. The history of the bodhran in Irish traditional music goes back to the 1950s and Seán Ó Riada. Seán Ó Riada invented the "celtic drum" for his arrangements of traditional music. Also, the presenter gets in a reference to Daniel Maclise's "Snap Apple Night" painting. You have to have a lot of wishful thinking and wilful ignorance to think that a bodhran is what is depicted in the painting. It is a tambourine, being played like a tambourine. Other copies, engravings etc of the painting make this even more blatantly obvious. I find it interesting that this is the painting that always seems to be referenced even though it is plainly a tambourine being played. Why is this? It's because of the absence of any other evidence. They have to refer to this painting and pretend that it is a bodhran being played because there is nothing else. Does this mean that no-one should be playing the bodhran in Irish traditional music (or elsewhere)? No, of course they can . There are "non-native" instruments playing folk music all around the world. The guitar is a recent import into British and Irish folk music. Melodeons too. It's the tunes and their interpretation that matter, and certainly not this reactionary ethno-nationalist "celtic" woo.

Nice playing, hate the bbq stick nonsense though! Ye get a far better sound off a solid stick.. I have a 6" ebony tipper that Malachy Kearns made for me, I've had it for over twenty five years, my 14" bodhran is a Padraic McNeela tuneable..