The Bodhran, a Traditional Irish Drum
The last time I went to an Irish festival, I caught a great Celtic-inspired band, with bagpipes and the whole works. By chance I caught up with one of the drummers afterward, and we talked a bit about the history of Irish music (over a beer, of course!) He said his instrument – a skin-covered drum that looked something like a tambourine – was called the Bodhran, and it dated back to at least the early 1600s. Apparently it was used as a war drum, although it acquired a more musical (and less martial) reputation as the years went by. Now the Bodhran is a popular instrument in Irish traditional music. There’s nothing like a little history to make me proud of my heritage!