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, ...

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 ...

The restoration of Derry musician Seamus McGuinness’s handmade bodhrán has featured in a bittersweet episode of BBC1 series The Repair Shop. Seamus, who died from cancer in March 2016, made the ...

"What is the purpose of your trip, and why so many cameras?" It was a familiar question during my trip to Iran in January to film my first documentary, Hidden Drummers of Iran. This time, we are ...

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 ...

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 ...

A French tourist on holiday in west Cork has spoken of her disappointment at not being made feel welcome when she brought her bodhrán to a traditional music session in a pub in the Skibbereen area so ...