Single-headed frame drum of Ireland. The membrane, which is normally goatskin but could be deer-, greyhound-, ass-, foal-, or horse-skin, is usually nailed to the frame. It is played either with the hand or, more commonly, a stick about 20 cm long, which is usually carved from ash, holly or hickory wood and is also known as a ‘tipper’ or cipín (‘little stick’). It may have a knob at one or both ends and a strip of leather is occasionally fastened to its centre to form a holding loop. A smaller stick (about 10 cm long) with a leather loop at one end and a carved knob at the other is sometimes used.
The term ‘bodhrán’ appears to be derived from bodhar, meaning ‘deaf’ or ‘dull-sounding’. The instrument was associated with folk ritual and was played in festival processions; it has survived primarily in association with the festival of St Stephen's Day. Until recently the construction of the bodhrán included a wooden cross at the back which enabled the player to hold the instrument while marching in processions; it was mainly an outdoor instrument. Performance technique was directly affected by this method of holding; there was no manipulation of the skin of the bodhrán, thus no variation in timbre could be achieved. The use of a skin tray or sieve (wecht, wight, dallan, boran) similar or identical in structure to the bodhrán was widespread right up to the 20th century; the tray served to hold corn or peat, while the sieve was used as a meal-sieve or winnowing tray. The links between the tray or sieve and the percussion instrument suggest that originally the bodhrán may have been used principally within the spring ritual of St Brigid's Feast.
The ritual ties of the bodhrán began to weaken with the advent of the Fleadhanna Ceoil (music festivals) in the 1950s, and the general resurgence of interest in traditional music in Ireland led to an increase in the popularity of the bodhrán. A major factor in this was its inclusion in Ceoltóirí Cualann (a concert band of traditional musicians) by Seán Ó Riada in the 1960s.
In the 1970s Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh began to manipulate the skin of the bodhrán to produce different sounds. This technique was an important development in modern bodhrán playing, and McDonagh's recordings with the group De Danann during the 1970s were hugely influential. Both McDonagh and Tommy Hayes, who recorded with Stockton's Wing in the 1970s, continue to influence the development of bodhrán playing at the beginning of the 21st century.
Towards the end of the 20th century the bodhrán became increasingly important in the performance of Irish traditional music, and most traditional groups included a bodhrán player. Many performance styles evolved, and Gino Lupari, Colm Murphy and Mel Mercier were among those who contributed to the development of new playing techniques.
See also Ireland, §II, 6.
E.E. Evans: Irish Folk Ways (London, 1957)
K. Danagher: The Year in Ireland (Cork, 1972)
M. Ó Súilleabháin: ‘The Bodhrán’, Treoir, vi (1974), no.2, p.4; no.5, p.6
G. Broderick: ‘The Dollan: a Traditional Manx Hand-Drum’, Béaloideas, Iris an Chamainn le Béaloideas Éireann, xlv–xlvii (1977–9), 27
M. O Súilleabháin: The Bodhrán: a Practical Introduction (Dublin, 1984)
D. Such: ‘The Bodhrán: the Black Sheep in the Family of Traditional Irish Musical Instruments’, GSJ, xxxviii (1985), 9–19
MÍCHEÁL O SÚILLEABHÁIN (with SANDRA JOYCE, NIALL KEEGAN)